Wolves of the Darkness
by The Dishonored Wolf
Summary: Sequel to Into the Darkness: Jasper is destroyed, Kate and many more are dead, and Humphrey must lead the survivors north while caring for his young daughter, Kala. As they travel, their loyalties will be tested and they will be caught in the legends and dangers of the Ancients. Will they survive the mountains and reach safety, or will they fall like Jasper?
1. Prologue

A lone wolf stood atop the mountains, silently watching the disturbance in the world. His eyes narrowed as he saw the dark smoke rising high over the mountain tops in the distance. This was no casual, small, contained fire, nor was it a forest fire. This fire was massive, stretching out countless miles of land. His claws unsheathed, tapping in a light rhythm on the stone of the mountains. He had heard the echoing, reverberating sonic booms from the confines of the mountains. At first, the wolf had feared that Fenrisúlfur had unleashed his wrath upon the world and released the power of the Ancients upon them, but this was no sonic boom of the Artifact; this was the sound of war.

He saw massive shapes moving through the smoke, odd lights flashing through the poisonous gases: humans. They moved south, away from the land beyond the mountains. The large plume of smoke rose into the sky as though a super volcano had erupted in the wake of the land. Knowing the destructive capabilities of the humans, they could have very well achieved its parallel brethren. The old wolf set off in the direction of the smoke, through the mountains. It took him many days and nights for him to reach his destination, but he knew the mountains well. After all, he'd lived in them for well over two millennia.

The creatures of the mountains stalked the darkness of the mountains, the lone wolf-much to their annoyance and disappointment-avoiding them stealthily. These creatures, however, were nowhere near as deadly as what would come if Fenrisúlfur decided to exact his rage upon the world. Perhaps, he already had, and the lone wolf was heading headlong into his unknowing demise as he journeyed to the south where the smoke and fire originated. He had incredibly keen eyes, able to spot the slightest details from hundreds to thousands of miles away in the ancient mountains.

Lithe as a young wolf, he calmly walked forward until he came across the burning plains of the south. The forest was still burning after many days of steady, knowing travel. Massive, abnormal canyons spurted molten lava from the earth, the ground beneath his paws hot with the intense heat and fury of the fires that burned with insatiable, red rage. He padded calmly through the destruction and looked down at the ground, looking at four corpses laid out together. The largest was nothing more than a blackened, smoldering corpse, smoke rising from a large gap where its stomach was cut open by some unknown source, steam emitting from its empty eye sockets and its open mouth. A dead flower hung from its burned fur.

The three bodies beside the first were of the same genetic wolf trait of the first, but significantly smaller. He realized that they were pups that had not survived. He bowed his head in respect and walked past them, continuing his search of the land. He peered down the magma-filled canyons with curiosity, wondering what could have possessed the humans to have ever wanted a power to cause this much death and destruction. He eventually found the remains of a human military convoy on an old, destroyed road. There was not a single human left alive, the few corpses still around nothing but blackened, burning skeletons.

He eventually came across a large hill with a massive gorge that cut down its side like a jagged scar. He looked down and saw the bodies of wolves and other animals that had fallen into its precarious clutches, dying upon impact on the stone. There were old bones within its dark depths, but he saw many more animals with bloodied fur at the bottom. They had fallen down recently, most likely trying to escape the humans' destructive rampage and, in a frenzied panic, plummeted over the edge. He padded carefully to the top of the hill, passing one tree that was not dead yet. Half of the bark was torn off; churned earth left in the ground as though someone or something had rode the bark down the hill. He was perplexed by this, but found nothing important about it.

He reached the top of the hill and found a clearing lightly covered with soot. However, there were paw prints and signs that wolves had been on the hill days earlier, the indentations in the soot still well presented in the ash. Yet, there were no bodies. His eyes glimmered with interest and he walked ahead, following the paw prints. He noticed small prints in the clearing that indicated the presence of a pup amongst the rest of the wolves. The paw prints led away from the valley, slight drag marks indicating that they had dragged their tails through the ashes in defeat.

Considering that their paw prints were so clearly indented and contained little to no paw drag marks, he determined that the wolves had been traveling at a slow, walking pace. He watched as the prints faded into the less ash-covered land beyond, the general direction heading into the vast plains leading to the mountain pass. If they had a pup with them, he doubted that they had traveled far in the past few days, perhaps only just reaching the mountain pass if they were lucky. The pup needed to be fed and carefully tended for, something that they could not do on the move.

It would take the wolves many moons for them to reach his original position in the mountains, but that was assuming far too much. After all, the chances that they would survive in unfamiliar territory were slim on its own, but with the dangers of these particular mountains lurking about in the dark mists of the ancient lands, he doubted they'd survive much longer than a year in the mountains. That was if they were incredibly fortunate.

He smiled in began to run. He tirelessly ran through the mountains, evading the creatures with ease as he returned to the Mountain of the Watcher Spirit. He climbed the rocky slope effortlessly until he reached the peak. The sun's rays of light glared over the peak of the mountain as it set in the distance. This was his home and the home of many other wolves and creatures of legend and nightmare. It was a glorious place to live, but not for strangers. The wolves that had sought refuge in the mountain pass to the north beyond their home were destined to die there.

Suddenly, something incredible happened. The sun's rays reflected off of the icy rock, rebounding across other such mountains across the range until three jagged marks formed in the mountains. It was the legendary mark of Fenrisúlfur. The wolf's eyes widened in awe, for in all of his long thousands of years of life, he'd never had the privilege of witnessing such a historic event. This was a sign, an omen. He whipped back to see the rock of the mountain peak part away an open into a deep tunnel that led into the core of the mountain. He approached carefully, looking down to see a rock ledge leading down to the bottom.

He took a tentative step forward, placing his paw carefully into the darkness of the vertical tunnel that led to the heart of the mountain. His eyes widened as he saw the ancient carvings on the stone walls. The marks were the written scripture of the Wolves of the Star Spirit. He could not understand the message inscribed in the stone for the language had been lost in the sands to time, but he knew the significance and meaning of the symbols. The tunnel led down and down until the darkness felt claustrophobic to him. A dark, red light glimmered in the bottom. Dark shadows swarmed around it, the dust and mist of demon spirits surrounding its entity.

The object was a massive stone obstruction that coiled around it, red marks and lines etched into its ancient surface. Whispers of the Ancients spoke silently in the chamber. Dust rose from the chamber floor, a small pile raised on the sides of it surrounding the large stone object itself. The floor had moved upward, the object beginning to make a steady ascent upward. The act of glorious reemergence had begun, and soon, the divine wolves would pass on into the light and mark themselves as the superior species in the world once more. They would find themselves invulnerable to anything save for the powers of the plague that affected the living. No doubt, the lone wolf had already been infected just by standing in the divine presence of the object. Two points jutted upward into the sky.

The wolf heard something above and rushed back to the surface to watch as four prongs of ice rose from the surface of the mountain. They were shaped like massive claws that had unsheathed from the earth. The four claws of ice pointed in towards the hole on the mountain. They were well over the size of three Kodiak bears standing on top of each other combined, and the ice would no doubt be nearly impossible to destroy.

A stone slab sealed the hole that led down to the divine object. He padded over and inspected the slab, reading the inscriptions of the Ancients. This, however, was a language that appeared to be more modern (at least for a wolf of his incredible age) and he could understand it to a certain extent. His eyes widened when he read what was carved into the stone; they had all heard of the legend of the Great Wolf that would save them from the darkness, but none had dared to believe it. To save them from the darkness, however, the Great Wolf would have to destroy the object of divinity. That was unacceptable, and they could not allow that to happen.

If the Great Wolf existed, then this stone slab meant that they he would come, and would arrive soon. He knew not when, but he knew that when he arrived, the measures of protecting the divine object would be enforced greatly. He looked out towards the dark smoke in the distance, the steadily rising cloud moving upward and polluting the air in the distant thousands of miles. The fires would burn for perhaps another week or two until it subsided and only ash remained, but he now knew that this was the omen.

To see the entire southern land before the mountains decimated, to see that wolves had survived, to see the object, and to read the legend of the Great Wolf within a matter of days was no coincidence. He had been far too attuned to the world around him to know that that was true. This was an urgent matter that required his attention and the attention of the others.

Looking around, he noticed more ancient inscriptions on the ice. The symbols were written in crimson blood that had dried many millennia prior, the writing showing up clearly upon the blue-white surface of the ice. It depicted exactly what had happened the first time the object had been put into effect by Fenrisúlfur, and just how it had nearly wiped out all life on the world and spread the divinity of the object until the first Great Wolf had arrived and stopped its power, banishing the black object to the depths of the far oceans in the south, ending the plague and tearing away any possible chance for divinity. Now…now this object had been recovered and its glorious divinity would spread. The humans' ignorance would keep them from being able to stop it, much less find the source. However, if the Great Wolf was to stop it again…no, that could not happen. It would not happen. It could not be allowed. Glory and divinity must be spread into the world shrouded by darkness, and they could not allow the Great Wolf to do his evil deeds again. Perhaps, he thought. If the wolves that had survived their home's destruction were to reach this place, they could help us eradicate the evil threat of the Great Wolf.

To spread the divinity, the blood of the Great Wolf had to be given to the object and then all species' in the world would be saved and delivered to the caring paws of Fenrisúlfur. It was imperative that they stop the evil from destroying the object again…or all would be lost.

He walked back away from the Mountain of the Watcher Spirit and back into the valley beyond it. There was a crucial encryption that he had missed, however. It told of the Legend of the Grey, the one that would bring peace and life to his pack. The legend had faded away over the millennia until it was forgotten, but the blood glowed just as the Legend of the Great Wolf had, for both of the legends were about to be foreseen. Destinies would be realized soon enough, and if the Legendary Grey was able to help them against the Great Wolf of evil…then perhaps there was condolence and hope for the wolves of the mountains after all.

**A/N: Yeah, I decided that I couldn't just leave you guys hanging for weeks and my mind was burning with ideas to get out as soon as possible, so I just decided to start up the new story now. This, my friends, is Book Two of the Darkness Trilogy. This is going to be exciting to write for me and I hope it'll be just as exciting for you all to read! So, what's the object? How does it spread divinity and hope across the world? Why and how did the Great Wolf of evil banish the first object to the ocean depths in the south? What is the Legend of the Grey? Where are the survivors of Jasper? How's Humphrey doing? How's Kala, Winston, Lily, Garth, and everyone else doing? What about Scourge and Sam? When will I stop asking all of these horribly predictable rhetorical questions that you're probably already asking yourselves? Well, I guess we're about to find out! Thanks for reading my first story Into the Darkness, and I hope that this story will be just as much (if not more) of a success as my first Alpha and Omega Fan Fiction story! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	2. Kala

**Day Seventy Nine**

Kala stretched as the warm sun rose to warm her silver fur. She arched her back and yawned, displaying her small fangs. She blinked sleepiness from her luminescent, amber eyes and looked around the small rock clearing. Her Aunt Lily and Uncle Garth were still sleeping together, curled up side by side, their tails intertwined. Their adopted pup, Firetail, was resting beside them as well. Garth sleepily nuzzled his mate in his sleep.

She made a disgusted face at the two; love was so gross! Firetail flicked his flicked his ears and adjusted his position for sleeping. He was over three weeks older than she was and already three moons old. She envied his superior age over her own, knowing that he was allowed more freedom to roam about than she was. Firetail was named after the bright white, flame-like streaks down his light-brown tail. Although Kala was jealous of his age, she would much rather be younger than have such a funny looking tail! She took pride in her ability to tease him about it whenever he was making fun of her. Garth and Lily were not particularly fond of the two arguing and fighting so often, but Garth absent-mindedly dismissed it as 'sibling rivalry' despite the fact that they were not biologically siblings.

Quite ironically, Kala and Firetail were not Lily and Garth's biological children. Kala was in truth related to them, but Firetail was taken in as a pup after the wolves left their old territory after what Garth and Lily sadly called 'The Great War.' She had only heard references to the Great War, not fully knowing what it was about. Quite frankly, she didn't even know what the word 'war' meant. Every time she learned a new word, she would leap forward and dart into as many questions as possible, such as how it was used, when it was used, what it meant, and various other questions that half of the time didn't even make logical sense. Her aunt and uncle laughed at her enthusiasm to learn and her ability to make jokes and stay laid back yet be so incredibly serious yet excited to learn the new word. After she had learned a new word or phrase, she'd run off about the wolves spouting off her new-found knowledge through the pack, proudly telling everyone about how smart she was to have discovered the new words and what they meant.

This, however, led to some complications as not everything she learned was necessarily appropriate for a young she-pup to be saying in any way. On one occasion, Kala had learned what the word 'mountain' meant, what a mountain was, and how it was used in a phrase, sentence, and told in a story by Garth. She eventually came across two wolves, Scar and Claw and told them all about her new word when they maliciously decided to inform her of a new phrase of which she was instructed to never so much as think of again. When she came back to Garth and Lily to tell them about her new phrase, they stared agape at her, clearly mortified at what the two maniacal wolves had decided to tell Kala about. Kala was strictly forbidden thereafter from associating herself with Claw and Scar and was told in no uncertain terms to never so much as think of the phrase again, saying it would not only shame Kala, but her grandfather, her cousin, her aunt and uncle, the rest of the wolves, and most importantly, her parents.

The last part stung indefinitely; whenever her parents were brought up, she quickly went silent and somber. It greatly disturbed Kala when the day came that Garth and Lily broke it to her-gently as they could muster-that they were not Kala's parents. She had cried for an entire day and half of the night before she learned to accept that they were not her mom and dad like she'd so thought since the time she had learned to speak. After several days of staying quite solitary from the pack and refusing to socialize or associate herself with any of the wolves, she worked up the courage to ask where her parents were.

Garth and Lily had looked at each other nervously and spoke to each other in hushed voices. They instructed Kala to stay there and wait for them to return, and Kala silently obeyed. Unfortunately, Firetail was also around when they left. He mocked and jeered at Kala, telling her that her parents were dead and left her behind because they didn't lover her. She growled at him and told him that it wasn't true, be he was relentless with his terrible jibes. After a while, his bullying had struck her core and she began to cry, pleading with him to stop, but like all bullies, he would not stop his assault.

Eventually, she lashed out at him, scratching his tail. He yelped and cried, running to the other end of the Small Grounds, sobbing to his foster parents. Garth and Lily were furious with Kala for hurting him and refused to listen to her when she tried explaining what Firetail had said. She bitterly lied down, secluded from them, glaring at her foster cousin's tail. She had barely left a scratch, much less one that was visible. He smirked at her as they ate the rabbits that roamed the Small Grounds of the grass plains. As punishment for her wrongdoings, she was to eat nothing more than a squirrel while Firetail was privileged enough to eat rabbit! How she longed for the taste of rabbit…

It was her old grandfather wolf, Winston that had come to her that night. He led her back to a small, rocky ledge that he used as a den. They sat underneath the small ledge in the short grass and he told her what had happened to her parents. He told her that her mother, Kate, was the one that named her and her father cared for her for quite a while. He ignored her when she asked what her father's name was. He told her that her parents loved her very much, but her mother had 'gone to sleep for a very long time,' as well as Kala's siblings. Her father had given Kala to Garth and Lily because he couldn't take care of her, but he still loved her very much. She asked him if he went to wake up her mom and siblings, but Winston explained to her that it was not a sleep that one could wake up from, trying to explain to her that they would be sleeping forever, but that they loved her nevertheless.

In the case of her father, however, there were still many gaps. No one ever told her what her father looked like, only that she had the same, tantalizing silver fur pelt of her father yet retained the beautiful amber eyes and white chest and belly fur of her mother. Kala asked if her mother or father had the snow-white paws that Kala did, but neither of them apparently did. Kala took that as a happy sign of uniqueness. Still, no one would explain what happened to her father, where he was, what he was doing, or why he couldn't take care of Kala. She had asked almost everyone in the pack. There was one wolf, however, that she did not dare to ask, yet had a feeling knew the answers to her questions.

The Leader Wolf, Humphrey, was a wolf that she quite feared. He had a silver-grey fur pelt much like her own, though it was slightly unkempt and rugged compared to her smooth, beautiful silver pelt. He wore an odd band of twigs and reeds around his right leg. The reeds and twigs were wrapped tightly together, intertwining amongst one another as they wrapped around his leg. Three violet flower petals rested firmly inside of them, and somehow, despite the fact that the petals were separated from the flower, they lived on in that band. He had three scar marks under his right eye, long, curved claws, and deep blue eyes that bore an immense deal of pain and suffering. He was a wolf that lived in solitude; he rarely talked with wolves save for informing them of things she knew nothing about. Then, he would leave. For almost the entire day he'd be gone, roaming the vast expanses of grassland. The wolves had stayed in the Small Grounds clearing for over a moon, and they could not move forward until the Leader Wolf gave the order to do so.

Kala was intrigued and terrified of Humphrey; he refused to go near her, yet he went around all of the other wolves of the pack, even the selfish Firetail when he was pestering Humphrey. Kala, however, was shunned by him. Sometimes, however, she'd see his blue eyes staring into her with a deep intensity, his face bearing sadness and pain before looking away. Kala couldn't understand what plagued the Leader Wolf so that he would bear so much contempt towards her. Had she done something wrong? Did he not like her parents? Kala couldn't understand it and no wolf was willing to tell her why Humphrey acted this way towards her. She knew not where he slept (that was, of course, assuming that he slept at all) but he was away from the pack almost all of the time, barely staying within sight range of them at the closest save for when associating with wolves briefly.

He was the only wolf in the pack that did not howl. The wolves would always howl solemnly, enthusiastically, happily, sadly, and lovingly to the heavens above and to one another, yet Humphrey never howled. She had never truly heard his voice before, his whispers to other wolves going unheard by her.

When Kala broached the subject of howling, she recalled her own attempts at howling. It was nothing more than a yipping-bark, but she had continued practicing her howl as to have the abilities of the other wolves. Somehow, however, she did not seem able to do so, leaving her pitifully disappointed at the end of a howl. Garth would try to comfort her and tell her that he didn't learn how to howl until his mate, Lily, taught him when he was three years old. Kala began to despair that she would never learn to howl, but Lily reassured her that, given time, she would learn and become as great of a howler as her parents were. She tried to seek condolence in the fact that she was young still and not technically speaking able to howl fully yet. Still, it did not deride her from the bitter fact that she could not howl like everyone else. It was around that time that she felt bad for Humphrey; he must have the same problem she had and didn't know how to howl, either.

Kala took a final glance at her aunt and uncle and left the small badger set they had used as a make-shift home. It was the early morning, the sun barely penetrating the thick cloud cover. The mountains loomed in the distance many hundreds of miles away. They looked like tiny points no bigger than she was, but Garth and Lily told her that the mountains were many times larger than Kala or any other living being, their tips jutting high into the skies of the north.

She padded aimlessly through the Small Grounds before coming across a rise. She looked out over the vast plains and back to the south where the forest was. She had inquired why they did not live in the shelter of the forest, but the wolves told her it was not safe and terribly ravaged from the effects of the Great War. It disappointed her that she would not be able to see the forest the pack had formerly lived in, but everyone told her that the day would come when she would see a true forest as well. She heavily anticipated that day.

Suddenly, Kala saw something moving down in the grass plains. It was the silver-furred form of Humphrey. He padded with his head and tail drooping, slowly walking through the plains. He looked out at the southern forest, tears streaming down his face. She had never seen an adult wolf cry, much less one as frightening and ominous as her own Leader Wolf. She felt a pang of sympathy for him; the poor Leader Wolf must have been homesick! Maybe that was where he went during the day: to go back home because he didn't like it in the plains. That would make sense as to his prolonged absences, but the south was said to not be safe anymore. If that was so, then Humphrey was putting himself in danger by going there (assuming that that was where he traveled to, of course).

She tilted her head to the side in curiosity, peering down at him. He looked at her and his eyes widened, startled that she was watching him. He turned to face her, neither one of them moving. He looked at her with eyes that said that he wanted to say something to her. He took a tentative step forward towards her, his eyes pleading to talk with her. Kala nervously took a step back in fear and Humphrey stopped. His ears flattened and he turned away sadly, padding off into the plains. Kala watched him go. She was guilty, believing that she had hurt her Leader Wolf's feelings. She was tempted to call out to him, but couldn't bring herself to do so from the fear of him or another wolf being angered by him.

"What are you doing out here, pup?" A voice questioned from behind her. She nearly jumped out of her fur in fear. She whipped around and saw the yellow eyes peering from the unkempt, black furred wolf behind her. She sighed, recognizing him as the other solitary (though significantly less anti-social) wolf of Scourge behind her. He padded up to her, repeating his question.

"Oh, I was just walking around a bit," she replied. It wasn't entirely a lie; she hadn't exactly planned to have a far-off encounter with Humphrey.

"You should be more careful, pup," Scourge said gruffly, sitting beside her. He looked down at her and said in a serious tone, "There are many dangers for a young pup such as yourself in these plains."

"So why does the Leader Wolf go out to the plains if there's so much danger?" Kala asked curiously. A small smile touched his lips for a moment.

"He goes out there to make sure that the dangers don't come to the rest of the pack," he explained. "Humphrey makes sure to keep us all safe." She looked out at his slowly fading form as he drearily walked into the distance. She cocked her head to the side, one of his mysteries finally solved.

"Why is he so sad?" Kala asked Scourge. He sighed and looked empathically towards Humphrey.

"He's gone through a lot," he told her. "He lost his mate and pups in the Great War."

"Why does he not like me?" She inquired.

"He likes you, don't worry," Scourge replied, amused with her inquiry. "You just remind him a lot of his daughter and his mate." She now felt terribly for the poor, sad Leader Wolf. His mate and pups were missing somewhere and now he was all alone while the rest of the pack was very close-knit and strong-bonded. "Just try not to get on his bad side; he doesn't like it when pups misbehave."

"Like when?"

"Like when a particular she-pup wanders away from the rest of her pack," he growled. She flattened her ears in embarrassment and grinned sheepishly at him. Scourge laughed at her reaction and led the small pup back to the rest of the pack. From across the plains, Humphrey watched Scourge lead Kala away. Every time he saw her, his heart churned and he longed to go towards her, but couldn't. Now when he'd finally worked up the courage to try and talk to her, she was afraid of him. His heart was heavy with pain as he looked down at Kate's gift to him. He let a tear shed as he wandered aimlessly through the plains.

Every day he longed to return to the old territory, fantasizing that Kate and the rest of the pups would be alive and well, waiting for him to lead back and introduce to Kala. He knew, however, that that was not to be. He heard something to his right and shot a look in that direction. He saw the dark silhouette of she-wolf sitting there, watching him. He knew it was not Sam; it couldn't be. This was his own, personal demon.

_Why did you let me die?_ The she-wolf asked. _Why Humphrey?_

"Get out of my head" Humphrey growled, looking away painfully. "Just get out of my head and leave me alone!"

_I can't do that, Humphrey,_ she said, padding towards him. The dark began to close around him, the world becoming claustrophobic and evil. Red symbols painted the air around him, the whispers of wolves and other animals surrounding him, invading his thoughts and tearing away at his heart. _I love you too much. Now, why don't you just answer a little question for me, Humph._

"What?" Humphrey whimpered. "What do you want with me?"

_I just want to know,_ she said, he body melting into blood. She bore her fangs and her eyes glowed a deep, bloody crimson. Complete silence enveloped them. That was when she screamed, _WHY DID YOU MAKE ME DIE?!_

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Humphrey screamed. "JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!"

**A/N: There you have it, the very first chapter with Kala at this point! So what do you all think of this? A lot of things happened in this chapter, a lot from Kala's perspective. You should expect that. Kala is a really big character now, though you'll still be seeing things through Humphrey's mind as well (like the majority of Into the Darkness and the end of this chapter).Thanks to the dark shadow, imjustlikehumphrey, the silver wolf, Alexander, and Dawn Walker Wolf for reviewing the prologue of this new story! Can't wait to update and show you what this story has in store for you guys and girls! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	3. The Flower

Kala waited impatiently for the rest of the wolves to awake. It was so boring when everyone was sleeping! She had always been an early riser and couldn't stand to sit around waiting for the rest of the pack to wake up. When she had been escorted back to Garth and Lily, she had asked Scourge if he'd play with her. Unfortunately, he denied her request and sent her back, leaving silently. She tried to fall asleep, but her excess of energy always prevented her from doing so.

She tossed and turned, groaning as she waited for someone to wake up and play with her. She wouldn't even care if Firetail wanted to join her in play; she needed away to put her energy to use. She laid her head down her paws and closed her eyes. She let her mind run free and she imagined what her parents may have looked like. She knew that her mother was a beautiful, tawny-furred she-wolf with white chest and belly fur and amber eyes. She had a howl that could stop a wolf's heart from the pure beauty of the sound, and a smile that could send chills down the spine of any wolf that looked at her.

The description of her father, however, was significantly vaguer than that of her mother. All that Kala had been told was that he was a light-hearted, grey-furred Omega. When Kala had discovered what the difference was between an Alpha and Omega, she was dumbfounded. After all, what were the chances that the two wolves would ever become mates? It surprised her just as much when she discovered that it was a very similar case with Lily and Garth.

Aside from that, however, she knew nothing of her father. No one would tell her anything about him for some reason and she didn't understand why. She began to wonder if he had done something that made the rest of the pack hate him. Was he, perhaps, a bad wolf? No, no he couldn't be a bad wolf! She shook her head, ashamed that she had even considered the possibility that her father could be bad. Still, the thought lingered in her mind like a dark cloud over her conscience. She began to feel tired and let herself slip into a deep state of dreaming…

_She was standing beside a river, the bright sunlight shining off of the small waves lapping peacefully on the small shoreline of sand._

_ Kala began to walk along the shoreline, looking around at her mysterious surroundings. She had never been to this place before. An expansive amount of trees stretched out beyond her she assumed that this was what was called a 'forest.' She grinned in excitement and dashed forward, sprinting with all of her might into the trees. She leapt gleefully into the forest, smiling ruefully. She padded through the forest, trying to pick up a scent. This, however, was a dream; scents, sights, tastes, and feels were all probably much different than that of a real forest. She walked forward aimlessly, exploring the vast expanse of forest. Every rock, plant, tree, root, river, stream, and pond varied as she walked about. She loved the forest with all of her being, her heart beating heavily against her chest. She felt as though she would burst with excitement and joy just by being in the forest despite that it was nothing more than a dream._

_ She padded into a small clearing and looked around. Sunlight streamed through the light foliage cover above, illuminating the area around her. She looked down and saw sever beautiful, violet flowers growing from a small part of the ground. She smiled at them and picked one, placing it in her fur just behind her right ear. She smiled, wondering if she looked pretty or not._

_ Suddenly, a young pup crashed through the bracken in front of her. Kala hid in the bushes behind her as she watched the newcomer in her dream. She was at least one moon younger than she was with a glorious, tawny pelt with a white chest and belly. Beautiful amber eyes glimmered and she wore a mischievous grin on her face as though she had done something that she knew she should not have. Kala watched the young pup with interest as she sat down in the clearing, relishing in the heat of the sun as it warmed her fluffy pelt. Kala stepped out and approached the pup, but then took a nervous step back. What if this she-pup was not friendly?_

_ Then, she heard a sound from her right. Both of them looked to see a young grey-furred pup with blue eyes step out of the forest. The two pups that Kala did not know seemed to be very surprised to see each other. The grey's eyes widened and his guard hairs stood on end in fear. The tawny she-pup smiled in glee and approached the young grey._

_ "Hi!" The tawny pup greeted. The grey pup hid further, causing the tawny pup to frown. She smiled and perked up her ears. "I'm Kate! What's your name?" He crawled forward a bit, allowing her to see the pup's face._

_ "I-I," the pup stuttered. "I'm H-Humphrey."_

_ "Hi, Hahumphrey!" She exclaimed._

_ "No, it's just Humphrey," he corrected her. She was surprised to hear that she got his name wrong. She could have sworn that he said Hahumphrey!_

_ "Oh, sorry!" She apologized. "Hi, Just Humphrey!" He gave her a quizzical look and slowly came out._

_ "Where am I?" he asked._

_ "Oh, I know that one!" Kate said joyfully. "You're in Jasper Park, Canada! But you can also call it Canada, Jasper Park! Or you can call it Jasper Canada Park, or Park Canada Jasper, or Park Jasper Canada, or you can have a lot of fun a say it backwards! Do you know what it is backwards?" He shook his head. "I do! It's Krap Adanac Repsaj!"_

_ Humphrey's face contorted and he rolled on the ground laughing. Kate joined in and laughed along with him. After its convulsing laughter subsided, it stood up and looked at her._

_ "You're funny!" He said._

_ "You are, too!" She countered. "What are you anyway? You're a weird looking pup!"_

_ "I'm a wolf!" Humphrey exclaimed. She shook her head._

_ "No! I know that part! I'm a she-wolf! But what are you? You don't look like my mom or sister; you look more like my dad!"_

_ "Oh, I'm a boy," he explained. Now she understood. When he said that, she became very wary of him. Her mother always told her, 'Stay away from boys! They're nothing but trouble!' Was she going to get in trouble for being around him? He didn't seem bad!_

_ "Where are your parents?" She asked. "Pups can't be out unless they're three moons old!"_

_ "I'm almost three moons," Humphrey told her. "I'm two and a half!" Kate was astounded to hear that he was older than her. He was almost allowed to leave his parents' den without their supervision! She wasn't even allowed to with her parents! _

_ The two heard a crack behind Humphrey. He turned around and Kate caught a brief glimpse of a large wolf standing over them. _

Kala awoke to see Garth, Lily, and Firetail gone. For once, however, she was not interested in getting up. She always loved to have dreams; she adored the feeling of being in another place in her sleep, to have the ability to let her mind adventure and burst with excitement just as much as she did in reality. Sometimes, she felt as though the dream world was preferable compared to the real world. This, however, was far different from any other dream.

She had never seen that place before, nor had she seen those pups before. Yet…the names sounded so familiar. She couldn't place her paw on it, but she knew that she had heard their names from someone or somewhere. Then, it finally hit her: Kate was her mother's name and Humphrey was the Pack Leader! She had had a dream about the two of them when they were pups! She wondered if it was an actual event or something her mind had created on its own accord.

A new question entered her mind: had her Leader Wolf known her mother? She had never come across the thought of it before, but she always felt as though Humphrey knew something that the rest of the pack refused to tell her. Perhaps she could ask him about her father and where he was! She smiled at the thought and padded into the clearing with the rest of the wolves. Lily was lying on a rock, basking in the sun as it shone off of her beautiful, luxurious white fur pelt. Kala loved the pretty look it gave Lily. It was just so…so pretty! She smiled and approached her aunt.

"Aunt Lily!" Kala yipped. Lily made no response, Kala frowning. "Aunt Lily, wake up!" Lily brushed her fur over her eyes and continued to sleep. Her tail, however, moved slightly. Kala grinned and pounced on it, playing with her tail. Lily groaned and Kala leapt forward, meeting Lily nose-to-nose. Lily brushed away the fur, looking at Kala through her beautiful violet eyes.

"What is it, Kala?" She asked, forcing a friendly-yet still clearly annoyed-smile.

"Where's Uncle Garth and Firetail?" Kala asked her curiously.

"Your Uncle took Firetail out to practice hunting tactics," she replied. Kala frowned in despair.

"They went without me?" She cried.

"You're too young to be learning hunting tactics, Kala," Lily replied, sitting up. "Your time will come soon enough."

"Okay," she sighed miserably. She looked down at the ground pitifully and Lily cocked her head to the side, noticing something different about her.

"Where did you find that flower?" She inquired. Kala looked up at her aunt in confusion. She scratched at her fur and found a violet flower over her ear. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of the flower. How in the world had it gotten there? That was just in a dream that she had had; not real life!

"Ah, well," Kala stammered. "I, uh, I just found it and wanted to see how it looked. Sorry, Aunt Lily, I didn't mean to get in trouble." Lily smiled, amused.

"I think it makes you look absolutely beautiful, Kala," Lily complimented. "I really like it! Did you know that your mother used to do that exact same thing with a violet flower just like that?"

"Really?" Kala asked.

"Really," Lily replied. "She looked amazing on her own, but the flower truly added a nice touch to her appearance." Kala smiled, happy to look like her mother in a way. Suddenly, she heard a howl come from the rocky rise in the center of the Small Grounds. Lily beckoned Kala and they gathered in the heart of the Small Grounds. The other thirteen wolves appeared, Humphrey and Scourge standing atop a rocky rise.

They looked up at the Leader Wolf expectantly, Humphrey looking out over them. His gaze swept over all of the wolves, but he avoided Kala's eyes. Her eyes flattened and she looked away in sadness; despite what Scourge had said, she knew that Humphrey didn't like her. Whatever she had done, it must have been really bad. Her own Leader Wolf hated her and she still did not know why. What did she do wrong?

"I've been looking around the grasslands," Humphrey spoke. His voice was cold, somewhat flat, yet still contained the strong, masculine nature of a male wolf. "The prey is beginning to leave. The ash is blowing in to the plains and poisoning their food. They've moved north to find new food and shelter. Ever since we left, we had planned on moving as far north as we could in search of the Pack of the Winter Mountains, but we've held back so we could regain our strength and wait for the pups to grow older. We've allowed that to happen and winter will be approaching soon. We can't live in the Small Grounds forever; we have to go find shelter in the mountain pass."

"How long will it take us to get there?" Asked a white-furred wolf; his name was Dmitri.

"If we keep a good pace," Humphrey replied. "We should reach the mountain pass within a week or two."

"When do we leave?" Winston rasped.

"Within the hour," Humphrey replied. The wolves nodded in understanding, none of them arguing with that. They were unflinchingly loyal to Humphrey and would follow his orders without question. "Gather any belongings you have and eat whatever you can take. We leave soon." The wolves dispersed wordlessly.

As they left, Kala caught Humphrey's eye. His gaze hardened as he saw her amber eyes and the violet flower in her fur. He glared at her intently, his eyes boring into her. She returned the gaze, flashing him an innocent, small smile. He turned away immediately and stalked away. Kala turned away and followed Garth, Lily, and Firetail. Humphrey was, indeed, a very troubled wolf.

**A/N: There you have it everyone! Short chapter, I know, but even the short chapters have significant events going on! So Kala saw how Humphrey and Kate met yet still has not made the connection between the two. Humphrey is being haunted and they have decided to move north to the mountain pass like they had originally intended. Several people have said that without Kate, the interest in this story won't be as high. Let me just say this: Kate won't be absent from this story, not exactly. I won't go into detail with how Kate will be implemented but at certain points of the story, she will. They will be there, but not very much.**

**Also, Dawn Walker Wolf pointed out my last chapter sounded a bit like his Dead Space/Alpha and Omega Crossover story, Dead Wolf. I hadn't read that story before and went to go check it out and did see some similarities in it. This will not, however, change how the story goes. Anything that happens between this story and any others is purely coincidental; I intend for this to be a fully original story and I don't want to take anything from any other story. Ideas pour out of my head all the time and just go right out onto the paper, so if I accidentally write anything that seems like it's a copy from another story, I don't meant to be doing so. Thanks to chiefdaniel117, the dark shadow, LoyalWolfHumphrey, the silver wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, Dawn Walker Wolf, and Alexander for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	4. The Spirit Guide

Kala ate all that her belly could hold despite Lily's warnings of bellyache on the journey. She, of course, ignored her aunt, wanting as much food as she could get. Lily, however, did not understand that Kala had an exceptionally strong stomach and metabolism; she wouldn't be affected by food on their journey to the northern mountains. The pack was restless about the idea of leaving and quite aggravated as well. Kala, on the other paw, was ecstatic, eager to see the world outside of her memory of the Small Grounds. Garth had told her many stories in the night about the mountains, Winston telling her even more. Despite Garth's adept skills in storytelling, Winston seemed to have a natural-born talent for telling good stories, and Kala would always seek him out whenever she wanted a new story. He refused, however, to give stories about his own mate, Eve, or Kala's parents. She was disappointed by this, but took condolence in the fact that Winston still told her stories of other interesting adventures and mysteries.

She trotted off to the small pond nearby to fill her gullet with water. Dehydration was an all-too-real plague on long journeys, and she felt that water would come as a necessary resource. She happily began to lap water from the pond, savoring the cool taste as it washed down her throat. She leapt in playfully and wet her fur, cooling down her body. She began to see small fish in the pond and she crouched down like a hunter. She had never been taught that stance, nor had she ever seen it used before; it was instinct that guided her estranged actions. She leapt at a fish nearby, but it quickly darted away before she could catch it. She was met with similar such failures before she waded out of the water, disappointed.

Shaking the water from her fur, she proceeded to groom herself. The sun quickly warmed and dried her fur as she forced it to lie flat on her pelt once more. She noticed the violet flower drooping down, so she quickly adjusted it in her fur, smiling. In interest to her appearance, she padded back to the water's edge to look back at her reflection. Waves caused from her playing and hunting in the water distorted the image, the sun reflecting heavily on the water as well. She waited for the water to still and adjusted her position so she could get a better look at herself. What she saw, however, was not Kala.

A beautiful, tawny-furred she-wolf returned her gaze through the reflecting water. She bore the same amber eyes that Kala had, the same white chest and belly fur that she was born with, the same violet flower in her fur. This, however, was a full-grown she-wolf staring back at her. Her beauty was unparalleled to any other wolf she'd seen before, a warm, loving smile on her face as she stared back at Kala through the water. Kala's eyes widened in shock as she looked at the image, leaning closer to make sure she wasn't having a type of mirage. The image leaned forward and mimicked her movements, but still retained the smile and the warm, inviting eyes. Kala tentatively poked the water with her paw and leapt back as the image distorted. She heard Scourge's summoning howl from the Small Grounds, but she did not heed the call. Her curiosity had taken hold of her as she stared into the beautiful face of this she-wolf. The she-wolf flicked her tail in a silent wave. Kala was shocked, yet couldn't stop herself from returning the wave.

The she-wolf grinned gleefully and then giggled silently. She blinked at Kala, still staring deeply into her eyes. Kala noticed something that was almost…familiar about the she-wolf. She couldn't place her paw on it, but she felt as though she'd met her before, yet there were no she-wolves in the pack that looked like her. However, her face structure did somewhat resemble Lily and Winston in an odd way. She heard someone call her name but did not turn to look, staring intently at the image of the she-wolf. Those eyes; those were the eyes of Kala. She did not know who this strange she-wolf was, but she knew her from somewhere. Who was she? _Kala_. She heard a voice whisper. It seemed to have telepathically come from the image. _Kala_. There it was again! She leaned in closer, almost tumbling into the water. _Kala!_ The voice cried. _Kala!_

_"Kala!"_ Lily screamed. Snapping out of her trance, she accidentally fell into the pond. She stood up, spitting out silt and disgusting pond water. Her flower had fallen off and now floated in the water's wake. "Kala, stop messing around or we're leaving you behind!" Lily growled. Kala looked back at her aunt, her violet eyes burning with annoyance. Kala waded out of the water, shaking her fur and brushing it back on her pelt.

"Sorry, Aunt Lily," Kala muttered sullenly.

"Well, you should be," Lily said. "Now come on, we're leaving the Small Grounds now." With that, Lily briskly turned around and trotted back to the gathering place. Kala finished and looked back at the water, hoping to see the she-wolf again. This time, however, she was met with her own, familiar reflection in the water. She was slightly disappointed by this, but quickly began to dismiss the image as a figment of her imagination. She saw the violet flower floating in the middle of the pond and considered swimming after it. She heard Lily's howl for her, and bolted to the gathering place, leaving the violet flower behind.

**Humphrey**

He waited patiently for all of the wolves to assemble, though Lily seemed to be quite impatient with Kala's reluctance to attend the meeting with the rest of the pack. Scourge sat beside him confidently, looking out over the rest of the pack. Humphrey would have felt happy for Scourge knowing that he finally had a pack, a family, once more. Happiness for anyone or anything, as well as any other emotion save for the pain and suffering that tore Humphrey's heart apart, were no absent from Humphrey. He couldn't feel happy for anyone anymore; that emotion had been torn out of his heart when _She_ left.

Finally, Kala padded out of the reeds and into the clearing with the rest of the wolves. The violet flower was missing from her fur, something that Humphrey did seem to like despite how it haunted him so. It gave Kala a nice look…like her mother. _No,_ Humphrey thought. _Don't think about her. Don't do it, Humphrey, just stay focused._ She sat off to the side, refusing to sit beside her aunt and uncle. Humphrey wished that he had retained amusement after the rest of his emotions had been torn from his being. That was yet another think she retained from _Her_ personality; she seemed to be quite arrogant at times and stubborn. Just as her mother was arrogant and stubborn towards the rest of the pack, wishing to be with Humphrey, Kala was similarly set in mind against sitting alongside her aunt and uncle.

Humphrey looked out over his pack; there were fifteen of them all. They had lost over fifteen sixteenths of the original pack, beating them down to this small group that had survived and persevered against all impossible odds. They were wolves to be proud of, a pack to be recognized for its ability to survive and continue with life after a day that brought nothing but endless death. Humphrey, Scourge, Salty, Sweets, Winston, Garth, Lily, Firetail, Claw, Scar, Ryan, Ashley, Neil, Sarah…and Kala; they were the wolves that had survived in a pack of one hundred and sixteen wolves on that fateful day. Their drive to live was strong, for they could have all simply given up on life had they so chosen to. Humphrey in particular still wished to die, however; how could he live when his better half counterpart had been relentlessly ripped away from him?

Now, the pack waited for his leadership to guide them. He had never aspired to become leader, but circumstances with a dominance fight against Garth's father, Tony, and his ability to talk to the guiding spirit, Sam, placed him as their leader. The Pack of the Winter Mountains were the wolves they so sought. The wolves that lived in the far north of the world, the direct descendants of the legendary Dire Wolves, offered salvation to any wolf that came searching. That was, however, what the legend of the Pack of the Winter Mountains said. No one had truly seen the pack; it had faded into myth and popular legend for the wolves to tell the young as part of their pack heritage. Now, they had to seek out the pack. If they existed, then they were promised the refuge that the wolves so desired; if they didn't exist, however, it was necessary that they move north anyhow. Anything south of the mountains was no longer safe for them; not with the humans' Black Weapon and their terrible, devastating war that they waged without end.

"We should reach the mountains within several day-walks of time," Humphrey informed the pack, his eyes sweeping over them. He refused to look at Kala; if he did, then he would see _Her_ eyes and he'd remember _Her_…he couldn't let _Her_ get in the way of leading the pack. He had to stay focused, even at the cost of neglecting his daughter that he so desperately longed to talk to. "If we move now and keep a good pace, we can be halfway there by moonrise."

That was all he needed to say to them; with that, he turned about and they followed closely behind him. The wolves knew that they could not slow down; even if one of them fell behind, it was to be survival of the fittest. This was what their lifestyle had been transformed into; this was how they had survived these past moons after the Great War. It was the only way that they could keep themselves going and stay strong for one another.

"You're sure about this?" Scourge asked him. Humphrey looked at his friend; he'd met Scourge over two moons ago when he was plagued by nightmares of the Pack's destruction. They had journeyed together to seek out the Truth of the Dark Heart of Jasper, helping each other along the way. They had formed a close friendship since that time and looked out for one another ever since.

"Yeah," Humphrey said as they padded on. "I'm sure."

"Have you seen Sam since the Great War?" Scourge inquired.

"No," Humphrey admitted. "I've seen nightmares, but I know they aren't from Sam. He's been silent for a long time. I don't know why he won't talk to me. Has he come to you?"

"No, not once," Scourge said with a sigh. "He seems to have abandoned us."

"Well, there is one good thing that comes out of him not being around," Humphrey pointed.

"What's that?"

"Every time that Sam's around," Humphrey said as they climbed up a ridge. "Shit happens." Scourge grunted in grim agreement as they continued forward, the pack following closely behind. As they reached the top of the ridge, Humphrey saw something to the left. His heart stopped and his blood ran cold when he saw it.

The dark silhouette of a she-wolf sat there in the grasslands, flicking her tail slightly. Humphrey's eyes widened in fear. She looked at him and blood began to pour from her belly. Then, blood poured from her neck, staining the earth in crimson. Humphrey's eyes began to water in hurt as he saw her. Scourge sank his claws into Humphrey's paw, snapping him out of his trance.

"Hey, are you alright?" Scourge asked him, his yellow eyes boring into Humphrey's blue eyes. Humphrey looked back to see that the she-wolf had disappeared.

"Yeah," Humphrey murmured. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Let's keep going."

**Kala**

The day wore on and on, Kala's paws beginning to hurt as they walked across the dry, hard grasslands. The heat of the sun bore down on her and she began to fall behind to the rear of the group. He tongue lolled out in exhaustion and she tried to keep up with the rest of the wolves. Even Firetail was matching their pace without falling behind. Kala, however, was not as hardened as the rest of them and began to fall behind quickly.

Dust was kicked up from the paws of the other wolves as the grasslands began to thin into dryness from the unforgiving heat of the sun. She coughed out wet dust as it invaded her respiratory system. Her eyes stung and sweat soaked her silver fur. She continued on nevertheless, trying to keep up with the older wolves. Firetail looked back at her and smirked. She couldn't understand why Firetail hated her so much, but he did that was it. She growled in frustration and tried her best to ignore him. The day grew longer and the heat beat them down with surprising force until all of the wolves were just as exhausted as Kala had been the entire time. Still, they moved on without hesitation, their fur hanging down from the sweat that soaked them.

Kala's legs became sore until she could no longer sense any feeling in them. Her muscles burned and ached with pain, her head and tail drooping as she began to pad slower and slower. The rest of the wolves passed her, seemingly unnoticing of her. When she looked back up, all of the wolves were several tail-lengths in front of her. She called out to them for help, but her voice was nothing more than a rasping croak, unable to form true words. She still trekked on, striving to prove her worth and keep up with them. It was just past midday, the sun still high in the sky and hours away from cooling. The Leader Wolf had made it clear that they wouldn't be stopping until moonrise for anything. They wouldn't leave her behind, would they? No, no they wouldn't leave a wolf behind, much less a pup like herself! As they moved farther and farther away from her, however, she began to believe that they really were going to leave her behind.

She collapsed from the exhaustion and bearing heat, rasping, her breath ragged from dehydration. She needed water and rest, for she could not continue on. She looked at their slowly fading forms, Kala forgotten in the grasslands without them. She whimpered and began to cry, curling up in a tight ball as the rest of her pack left without her. Through her tears, she could see a she-wolf padding towards her. She was a beautiful, tawny-furred wolf with white chest and belly fur and warm, amber eyes. It was the same wolf she'd seen at the pond!

The she-wolf stopped and sat beside her, looking down at her. She cocked her head in curiosity, looking down at Kala. Kala turned her gaze away from the she-wolf and continued to cry. Was this how everything was going to end? Was she going to die with the strange hallucinations of a she-wolf that did not exist?

"What are you doing, pup?" She asked. Her voice was soothing and just as beautiful as she looked.

"Waiting to die," she replied sadly. The she-wolf looked down in worry at her.

"Why so?" The she-wolf asked her.

"The rest of the pack left me behind," she told the she-wolf. "No one likes me in the pack. I should just die out here."

"Your pack loves you very much," the she-wolf said, anger rising in her voice. "You have the strength of an Alpha running through your veins and the spirit of an Omega in your heart. Your pack adores you, pup, so do not be so negligent and selfish as to believe the evil thoughts that invade your mind! Now get up, and take my strength to continue on. Now let us be off! Rise pup, rise!"

Energy began to course through Kala's veins and she felt as much as saw herself get up to her paws. She stumbled a bit, the she-wolf catching her with her muzzle, steadying Kala. She nodded thankfully to the she-wolf and they began to walk forward. More and more strength and energy flowed through her until she felt as fit and able-bodied as the strongest wolves of her pack. The she-wolf smiled and they began to jog forward, escalating to a fast run.

They raced each other gleefully across the grasslands to the rest of the pack, their bodies coming into view quickly as they ran. The she-wolf's eyes widened as she fixated her gaze upon one of the wolves. Kala couldn't tell who it was, but knew that something about the wolf had definitely caught the she-wolf's attention. She wondered if she would join her pack; after all, Kala liked her and she was very nice and helpful!

Suddenly, the she-wolf stopped and looked at Kala. Kala began to slow and return the she-wolf's gaze.

"This is where we depart, Young Pup," the she-wolf said with a hint of sadness on her voice. "I cannot join you for the rest of this journey, nor can you tell anyone of me."

"Why not?" Kala cried piteously. "You can join the pack if you want!"

"No, I cannot do so," the she-wolf replied, looking longingly at the wolves. "Not yet. We will meet each other again soon, Young Pup. May the spirit of Fenrisúlfur guide you!" With that, the she-wolf vanished into the air, Kala's eyes widening in shock. In her place, a violet flower lied on the ground. Kala picked up the flower and placed it back in her fur with a smile. Then, she scented the air around her; there was nothing. It was almost as though the she-wolf had never been there. She had vanished without a trace.

**A/N: Well, there you have it everyone! A lot happened in this chapter and it was certainly eventful in many ways! Who is this familiar she-wolf that Kala is seeing? Why is Humphrey being haunted? Where is Sam in this mess? What happens next? Why am I asking rhetorical questions again?**

**For some odd reason, I keep thinking of Humphrey as Rick from the Walking Dead at this point (leadership role-wise, I mean). I realized that I've started to make him like Rick (in a way) unintentionally without even realizing it.**

**Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, the silver wolf, the dark shadow, and LoyalWolfHumphrey for reviewing my last chapter. Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	5. Humphrey's Anger

Humphrey was exhausted, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. The stars were beginning to shine as the sky progressively darkened into a deep blue-violet shade. Humphrey slowed the pack down until they came to a stop by a lake he had been scouting for. The wolves collapsed on the shore, lapping the delicious water. Humphrey walked forward and leapt into the water, soaking his fur. He resurfaced and spat out water before returning to shore. The freezing water had successfully cooled him down and he stretched his tired limbs, sitting down to survey the pack as they drank from the lake.

He was impressed that all fourteen of them had managed to make it to the lake by nightfall. Their drive and overall physical endurance was incredible and Humphrey was sure that they would be able to make it to the mountains within two or three days of keeping up the same pace. Prey could be sorted out perfectly; field mice were plentiful in these grasslands despite that there was not a lot of food that came out of them. Nevertheless, they would be able to survive off of the mice until they reached the mountains. That was when the real food would be able to be hunted.

Caribou, deer, badger, moose, elk, and ram were plentiful in the northern mountains and would be the best meal they had eaten since before the fall of Jasper. The fourteen wolves would be able to survive through the winter, Humphrey was certain. However, his nightmares seemed to want to prevent him from surviving with them. He had already appointed Garth and Lily as his successors if anything happened to him, and their former experience and expertise as Leader Wolves would be needed if anything befell Humphrey on their journey to the Pack of the Winter Mountains.

The problem with the pack, however, was that no one truly knew where they were. All that the legends had said was that they were in the far northern mountains where winter reigned supreme for many endless millennia. There was no telling how far or close the pack would be, much less when they would reach the Winter Mountains. Many mountains were covered in snow year-round, so finding the right mountain range would be difficult. There was also the fact that they would have to find the pack of legendary wolves once they found the right mountains, and that would be significantly more difficult afterwards. He shook his head, shaking thoughts and doubts from his mind. He looked at the wolves lapping water from the lake and counted all of them to make sure everyone was there. He counted thirteen. He frowned in confusion and recounting, knowing that thirteen wasn't the right number. Again, he counted only thirteen wolves. That's when he noticed who was missing: Kala.

His heart lurched and his pulse quickened as he shot about frantically, trying to find her, hoping she was just out of sight from one of the other wolves. No, she wasn't here. He rushed to Scourge, asking if he'd seen Kala. Scourge shook his head and continued to drink. He asked everyone else, but no one had seen her. Finally, he came to Garth and Lily.

"Garth, Lily!" Humphrey gasped. They raised their heads to look at Humphrey expectantly. "Have you seen Kala? I can't find her anywhere!" Garth's eyes widened in shock, Lily doing the same; they hadn't noticed that Kala was missing. Firetail smirked and laughed mischievously. Humphrey gave a suspicious glare to him, Garth, Lily, and the rest of the wolves looking at him.

"Pup," Humphrey growled. "Do you know where Kala is?"

"Yeah," he said with an evil grin. "She fell down miles behind us. She wasn't as strong as the rest of us." For a moment, Humphrey was frozen as he glared at Firetail, unable to comprehend that Kala had fallen behind and the estranged, demonic pup had left her there. Then, he lashed out at Firetail, slamming him to the ground. Everyone's eyes widened when they saw Humphrey do this, Firetail equally shocked. Humphrey placed a paw on his chest, his claws beginning to unsheathe and poke into his fur.

"You mean to tell me," Humphrey snarled. "That you saw another pup fall behind and you didn't tell anyone?" Firetail nodded shakily. Humphrey's eyes burned with fury and every fiber of his being wished to sink his claws into Firetail's chest and tear him open for what he'd done. _Yes,_ a she-wolf's voice whispered to him. _Kill him just like you killed me. Let his blood spill to the ground. Then, tear out his Life Blood like you did to me. Murder him just like you murdered me, Humphrey._

Humphrey shook with indecision, though he still wished to kill him. Kala was his daughter and now she was somewhere far behind them because of the selfishness of this pup. Firetail seemed to have physically shrank in terror as he stared upward at Humphrey.

"Humphrey," Scourge whispered to him. "Humphrey let him go."

"You little bastard," Humphrey snarled. "You left her behind!"

"Humphrey, let him go," Scourge persisted firmly. "I'll help you find Kala, but you can't let your anger get the better of you, okay? Just let him go. Let him go."

_Let him go,_ Humphrey, she hissed demonically_. You could have let me go, too. You could have told me no, I could have survived. We could have had pups that were better than that pathetic scrap of a wolf. I would be alive and I wouldn't have to remind you about it every single day of your life. Let him go, Humphrey. You'll regret your decision later on, I'm sure._ Humphrey closed his eyes and shook uncontrollably. Scourge looked at him intently; the rest of the pack waiting to see what he would do to Firetail. Lily had tears running down her face, Garth holding her back. Winston looked at him, his eyes full of hope. Everyone else simply looked, wondering what he'd do next.

"Get out of my head," Humphrey whispered. "Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone."

"Humphrey," Scourge whispered. "She's not really there. It's all in your head, Humphrey, she's not there alright? It's all just shit going on in your head."

"That's the point," Humphrey said painfully. "She's in my head and she won't get out."

"Humphrey, forget about her," Scourge growled. "You have to forget about her, about Firetail, and about yourself. You have to find Kala, alright? Think about her, nothing else. Can you do that?" Humphrey tried to take his mind away from Firetail and the voice in his head, thinking of Kala. Her pelt that so resembled Humphrey's; her eyes that were exactly the same as _Hers_. The personality that was combined from the both of them that was so ever present in Kala from day to day. She was out there on her own, and he needed to find her.

He lifted his paw from Firetail and grabbed him by the scruff, tossing him into the lake. He sat up, sputtering water and sand he'd swallowed when he went under. He stared at Humphrey in fear, Humphrey returning his gaze with a dark glare. Firetail bolted back to Lily and Garth, Lily quickly embracing him in a loving hug. Scourge patted Humphrey's flank with his paw and someone shouted out. They turned their gaze to the south and saw the form of a pup wearily dragging itself over the rise. Kala panted forward, her head and tail drooping. Humphrey's eyes widened in shock and relief as she padded forward, collapsing into the ground. Humphrey and Scourge ran forward, but Humphrey reached her first. They were all surprised to see Humphrey do so, but he did nevertheless. He grabbed her by the scruff and took her to the shoreline. He placed her down in the water and splashed water on to her face.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around. The rest of the pack had assembled around her. Humphrey wanted to desperately to show his worry and concern for her, but he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to tell her who he was. Not now, not yet. It wasn't the right time. He returned his expression to what it had been for over two moons now and looked down at her, perhaps a bit more coldly than he fully intended. She looked up in confusion and saw Humphrey looking down at her.

"What-what happened?" She asked tiredly.

"You fainted," Scourge told her. Humphrey briefly glanced at him when he said that. "We got you to the water as soon as we could."

"Are you alright, pup?" Humphrey asked flatly.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she replied. "I fell behind, but I was able to catch up."

"How did you find the strength to keep going?" Humphrey asked.

"I was he-" she began, and then hesitated. "I-well, I don't know. I just, well, got back up and started walking after everyone." Humphrey looked at her suspiciously, considering her words. She was hiding something, he knew it. What that was, he knew not, but he knew that it was serious for her and that she didn't want to share it with anyone else. He nodded and told everyone to get some rest.

"We'll be leaving at dawn tomorrow," he told them. "If you find anything to eat, feel free to catch it. Otherwise, get some rest." With that, the wolves padded off.

**Kala**

Kala knew as soon as he asked her how she'd acquired the strength to get back up that she couldn't tell him. The she-wolf had instructed her not to do so and she had promised to do just that. She decided to tell them a small, part of the truth, but not the full truth.

As the wolves began to move out, Scourge sat beside her, looking down at Kala. They watched as Humphrey stalked away from everyone else and disappearing into the tall grass.

"He was the one that got you to the lake," Scourge told her. She looked at him in shock, a questioning look on her face. "As soon as we saw you collapse, he rushed to your side and got you to the lake before the rest of us had time to react. He was even attacked Firetail out of anger for your being left behind without us noticing. It scared the living shit out of him."

"That would have been funny to see," she said with a smile, wishing she'd been there to witness Firetail in fear.

"It may not seem like it, but he really does care about you, Kala," Scourge said. "He just has a hard time talking to other wolves."

"Because of what happened to his mate," Kala finished.

"Yeah, because of his mate," Scourge said sadly. "Come on, let's go get something to eat. I'm hungry enough to eat a Longfang at this point."

"What's a Longfang?" Kala asked curiously.

"Just hope you never see one of them," Scourge told her gruffly, leading her to the other wolves. "Actually, I take back what I said about eating one. They probably taste even worse than Firetail's shit."

**A/N: There you have it, another chapter today! Don't worry, the next chapter will be longer and will be very interesting for you guys! I really think you're going to like what I have planned for the next chapter due both to its length and to its storyline. I have big plans for this story like I've said before, and I want you all to be just as excited for this story as I am to write it! Seriously, despite that I know what's going to happen in every chapter for this story and all other stories I write for this site, it still really excites me to write it and see how it turns out.**

**For example, in my last story, Into the Darkness, I had the plan to kill Kate three chapters before it actually happened and I still began to cry a bit when I wrote that after connecting with the character and making the circumstances that her death was under, and the emotions of excitement, sadness, anger, and whatever else comes with writing this story are still ever present when I'm writing.**

**Thanks to the dark shadow, Dawn Walker Wolf, and Alexander for reviewing my last chapter. See you around for the next one. Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	6. A Twilight Story

The wolves had gathered together along the shoreline near a small, grassy rise. Firetail was curled in a small ball whimpering as Lily scolded him for what he had done. Salty and Sweets lay together beside the rise, Winston lying down in the middle of the group. The other four wolves sat around amongst the group. Scourge led Kala to the group and went off to catch something to eat. Some of the wolves had had the chance to hunt already, thee field mice and a small hare laying several taillengths from the shoreline. Kala padded up to the prey and looked up at Garth. He nodded his approval and she grabbed one of the field mice.

The journey had taken a heavy toll on Kala and she was famished, her belly aching. The sweet taste of the field mouse made her mouth water and her senses begin to tingle. She placed the mouse on the ground and began to eat it, delicately picking it apart piece by piece, savoring the sweet taste. The field mouse tasted like the best bit of food she'd ever had before, her exhaustion and hunger allowing her to enjoy the mouse more than she had ever enjoyed eating anything before. She saw blood on her paws when she was finished and looked down at them in disgust; she hated blood in her fur.

She padded to the lake and began to clear off her muzzle and paws, the blood dispersing into the water. Kala peered into her reflection on the star-shining lake, hoping to see the she-wolf she'd met earlier. To her disappointment, she saw nothing save for her own reflection. She turned around and padded back to the rest of the wolves, Scourge leaping over the rise with three plumb hares hanging from his jaws. The wolves stood up, apprehensive to begin eating. Scourge tossed the hares into the pile and the wolves began to take one of the hares for each pairing of two. Firetail sniffed at one of the hares, but Garth growled at him warningly. Firetail slunk back and Garth and Lily took the hare, leaving only two mice left. Winston was left without anything and padded to the mice, grabbing one and walking back to eat alone. Firetail pranced forward and grabbed one of the mice, bounding back to Garth and Lily to eat his mouse with them. Kala looked at Scourge who sat alone on the rise. She cocked her head and walked over to him.

"What will you eat, Scourge?" Kala asked him.

"I already caught myself a couple squirrels," he replied. "I don't need anything else." She nodded and padded back to her grandfather, lying down beside him. He winked kindly to her in greeting, silently picking his mouse apart. Kala placed her small head in her paws, exhaling heavily in boredom. Humphrey walked over the rise and sat beside Scourge, the two looking out over the pack. She felt Humphrey's gaze sweep over her; she didn't know if she should be reassured or terrified by him. He had rushed to her aid when she fainted from dehydration and Scourge had told her several times that he liked Kala, but she was still unnerved by the Leader Wolf. She also, however, felt a pang of sympathy for him. His mate and pups went to sleep for a long time and he was always out alone. She suspected that he must be very lonely in his solitude. Luckily, he and Scourge seemed to be very good friends, so maybe that was a way for Humphrey to feel less lonely.

Winston finished his mouse and licked his muzzle and paws clean of the blood. He looked out over the wolves and the lake, sparing a glance to Humphrey. He dipped his head to the Leader Wolf, Humphrey returning the gesture. Kala's boredom began to peak, and the last thing she wanted to do was be bored before their impending journey the next morning. Then, she looked at Winston; he was the storyteller of the pack and was really good at doing so. Kala was always fascinated by his legendary stories that he happily told her about. Her tail wagged and she looked at him with large, glimmering, hopeful eyes. He sighed, a small smile appearing on his face.

"I'm not sure I have a story for you tonight, pup," Winston told her.

"Please, Grandpa Winston!" Kala pleaded. "Just one story!" He looked back into her amber eyes and knew that he couldn't say to the she-pup. Just like her mother, she had an uncanny knack for getting what she wanted one way or another. He grinned and nodded, telling her to inform the rest of the pack that he had a new story to tell if anyone wanted to listen. Kala bounced to her paws and darted around the pack, telling every wolf what Winston instructed her to say. When she came to Humphrey, she became nervous and instead veered to the right where Scourge was located. Before she could say anything, Scourge told her that they'd already heard. She nodded and bolted back to Winston, lying down in front of him, her tail wagging fiercely and her eyes shining brightly.

The rest of the pack assembled around Winston and sat down, waiting expectantly for the old wolf to begin his story. Firetail lied down with a bored expression on his face. Kala always told him that he was missing out when he refused to listen to Winston's stories, but Firetail always insisted that Winston's stories were for 'puppy wolves.' Kala scoffed at this and had told Winston what he had said, but Winston simply laughed and told her that if he wanted to think that, he could; after all, if was Firetail's loss if the story was really good and he missed it. Humphrey and Scourge sat on the far side of the group, joining in to listen to Winston's story as well. Winston seemed happy to see that everyone had come to hear his story.

"Tonight," Winston said, a glint shining from his eyes. "I will share a new story, one that happened in reality. It's a story of adventure, of love, and a story that Kala in particular," he winked at her. "Will enjoy very much, I am certain. Many of the older wolves already know this story, but, of course, no story can be retold by anyone like me." The wolves murmured in agreement with the statement and Winston continued. "Kala, I think you're old to hear this story now; this is the story about your mother and father's great adventure to Idaho." All of the wolves smiled and whispered about the story; Humphrey, however, glared at Winston.

Kala noticed his hard, ice-cold stare as well as several other wolves. Humphrey seethed and whipped around, stalking angrily back over the rise and into the grasslands. Kala asked Winston why he was so angry with him for sharing this story, but Winston simply looked after Humphrey in sorrow, not seeming to notice that she had spoken to him. Lily leaned down to Kala and nudged her. Kala looked back at her aunt and Lily whispered the reason for Humphrey's anger into her ear: "He's heard this story before." She said.

Kala didn't understand why he would be so angry if he had heard the story before, but shrugged and returned her attention to Winston as he started his story.

"Now," he began. "It was a beautiful spring day in Jasper Park. All of the wolves were having fun with one another and the pack was at peace with itself. There were fifty three of us wolves in the Western Pack, and our Alpha pups had just returned from Alpha School, ready to serve the pack and perform their great deeds. One of these wolves was Kala's mother, Kate." She heard a soft giggle from her immediate left, looking. There was no one there, confusion crossing Kala's mind. The laugh sounded familiar…it sounded like the she-wolf she'd met, yet there was nothing there. She brushed the thought aside and looked back at Winston expectantly. She closed her eyes and began to visualize the lush, forested valley of Western Jasper Park.

_Kate was a beautiful, tawny-furred she-wolf with white chest and belly fur. She had the most beautiful, shining amber eyes that any wolf had laid their eyes on, her beauty attracting the attention of every wolf around her. She was sweet and caring to all wolves, yet held on to a deep friendship with a certain grey wolf in the pack, an Omega (of whom Winston still neglected to name). As her first duty upon returning to Jasper Park, Kate had selected the two senior Alpha wolves, Candu and Hutch, to assist her in a hunt on the esteemed and incredibly popular dieted prey of the Jasper wolves, the caribou._

_ Caribou were massive creatures with bone-like antlers that jutted from their skulls. They were quite dumb animals, but were easily dangerous to any predator, their antlers able to be used as defense against lethal predators when hunting. As Kate and her allies were hunting, their rivals, the Eastern Pack, was discovered hunting the wolves as well (the Eastern-heritage wolves in their group shuffled their paws and looked about in embarrassment). _

_ Kate had lost the caribou and the wolves began to fight when suddenly, Kate's best friend, the grey Omega, and his friends rushed down to the rescue. They ended the fight and managed to get the wolves away from each other before they could hurt one another._

"Wow!" Kala exclaimed excitedly. "So my dad is a hero? That's so cool!" The wolves chuckled in amusement at her reaction, Winston smiling at her.

"That he was," Winston told her. "He was the finest Omega I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Now, where was I? Ah, yes, your father had ended the fight between the fighting wolves…"

_The grey padded up to Kate after Winston ordered the Eastern wolves to go back to their own territory and for the Western wolves to return to the Pack Den. Kate hung her head and tail low in disappointment for failing the hunt. The grey tried to offer his condolences to her, telling her how great of a job she had done on her hunt. _

_ "Come on, Kate, you did amazing!" The grey told her. "I mean, come on, if anyone wants to eat, they can just eat, uh, berries!" Kate gave him a quizzical look and as his friend Salty tossed him several berries._

"You knew my dad?" Kala piped to Salty. He smiled and nodded. "What was he like?"

"He," Salty began, searching for words. Sweets looked up at him and he sighed. "He was a great wolf and one of my best friends. He's a wolf that you should be proud to have as a father."

"Wow!" Kala exclaimed. Winston continued the story.

_"They're very," the grey told her, choking down the berries in disgust. He forced himself to swallow the vile berries, violet juices flecking his muzzle. He recoiled in distaste, his face clearly showing his disgust for them. Still, he forced a kind smile to Kate. "They're very nutritious."_

_ "Yeah," Kate said sullenly, walking away. "Try telling that to a hungry pack." When he noticed that his attempts at comforting her had failed, he spat out the berries like poison. Berries, the grey thought. I hate berries!_

_ When Winston's mate, Eve, returned to their den, Winston informed her of Kate's hunt and its outcome. Eve gave a quite disturbingly violent response, but seemed to brighten when Winston told her that the Omegas had broken up the fight. She padded inside to see Kate slouching pitifully while Lily played gleefully with her tail. Eve ordered Kate to sit up straight and for Lily to stop playing with her tail. Lily asked what their dinner would be and Eve presented them with the bones of the previous night's food. _

_ Lily sniffed at the bones and recoiled in revolt, Kate responding similarly. Eve, however, smashed a fly to the ground and told her daughters that any food was a blessing. Kate eyed her mom oddly and Eve called out to Winston to come in. He grumpily walked inside and looked at the scraps and bones of the previous kill. The only one that seemed to be in high spirits was Eve, but she was quite demonic in some situations. She was a unique she-wolf, though, which was one of the reasons that Winston loved her. Other wolves, however…there was much speculation as to her mental health._

_ "Scraps and bones is not a dinner!" Winston growled. "Not for my pack!"_

_ "I'm sorry, Dad," Kate apologized sadly. "I tried my best; it's just those dumb Eastern wolves!"_

_ "It's not your fault, Kate," Winston told her, looking at his eldest daughter sympathetically. "When the Eastern hunting group crossed the River Border into our territory, they deliberately broke Pack Law! Their intrusion on our land will not go unpunished!" Suddenly, someone called for Winston from outside. He and Eve looked out and went to talk to the wolves outside. Hutch was supporting Candu._

_ "Candu was jumped," Hutch snarled. "We were patrolling the border when the Eastern wolves came out at him."_

_ "It ain't nothing!" Candu insisted. Eve looked at his size and saw several long, bloody, scarred scratches on his flank. He seethed in pain when Eve prodded them. _

_ "Quickly," she said. "Get him into our den. Now, Winston, honey; when we find out whoever did this, let's tear their tail off and shove it down their throat, shall we?" Winston stared agape at Eve as she walked back into the den (Kala laughed hysterically at Eve's response). Winston gave orders to Hutch and left for the forest. Kate looked out after him as he headed to the River Border in the East. Then, she noticed the grey and his friends trying to convince the other wolves that berries were great to eat._

_ "Seriously, guys," the grey told them indignantly. "Caribou; it's just really overrated. There's new food out there that you haven't tried out yet! Now, put your paws together and get ready for the next best thing…BERRIES!" The wolves looked at him in confusion for several moments, and then began to growl menacingly at them. They fearfully threw the berries away and took out several squirrels. "Well, uh, how about some squirrels?" That put the wolves in a more positive mood, their mouths salivating as they looked hungrily at the squirrels. The squirrels panicked and bolted away from the grey. The Omegas laughed nervously and slowly walked away from the aggravated wolves. Kate laughed as she saw the ordeal and began to follow Winston stealthily through the forest._

_ Winston howled from a large precipice into the East, waiting for a response. Several moments later, another howl responded to his call. He padded to the River Border and waited as an old red-furred wolf. Ravens flew from the East, cawing out menacingly as the old Eastern Leader Wolf padded out, leaping over the river. His back cracked as he landed, making the Eastern Leader Wolf seethe in pain. _

_ "You're one crazy wolf, Tony," Winston told him as the two began to circle each other._

_ "Oh yeah?" Tony questioned._

_ "Yeah," Winston growled. "Like that little crazy game your wolves decided to play with my daughter and her team during our hunt? I thought you had respectable Alphas; why not just leave the playing to the Omegas?"_

_ "Damn you, Winston!" Tony snarled. "You know just as well as I do that there is no prey left in the East!"_

_ "Well, it looks like you've got a big problem."_

_ "Unite the packs, Winston!" Tony told him, exasperated. "Need I remind you that you were the one that gave that big speech about your daughter and my son becoming mates and uniting the packs? Garth knows his responsibility; does Kate?" Winston hesitated for a moment, and then defiantly glared back at him._

_ "Don't worry," Winston growled. "She knows."_

_ "Good!" Tony said, delighted. "Then she can meet Garth tonight at the Moonlight Howl." With that, he stalked away. Winston sighed and turned around, knowing what he had to do. However, he turned face-to-face with Kate. She had a sad expression on her face as Winston turned to her. He knew from her eyes that she had heard everything._

_ "Kate, I-" Winston began._

_ "It's okay, Dad," Kate said. Her heart was wrenched from feelings toward her grey wolf friend and duties to her pack. She knew, however, that it was futile to argue; Alpha and Omegas could not be together due to Pack Law, and her duties came first. She whispered a silent apology to the grey. "I understand, Dad; it's my responsibility."_

"Well that's not fair!" Kala exclaimed, leaping to her paws. "She shouldn't have been forced to be mates with him! No offense, Uncle Garth." She said sheepishly.

"None taken," Garth responded with a small smile.

"Yes, it wasn't my best decision, but don't worry," Winston told her with a grin and a wink. "The story gets much better."

_ That night, Kate had met Garth at the glorious moonlight howl. Unfortunately (Garth looked down in shame at this part), Garth had an absolutely horrendous howl despite his looks, strength, agility, endurance, and charm. Astounded by his inability to howl, Kate made the excuse to run down to the river and drink._

_ She hid from Garth, wanting desperately to escape the horror of him and his howl. She couldn't believe that she had to be mates with him! She was angry at her parents for not letting her have a say in the matter, she was angry at Garth for being so imperfect, she was angry at the caribou for not staying in the East, and she was angry that at the dumb Pack Laws that prevented her from being with her best friend in the world. _

_ Suddenly, the grey dropped down from above, grinning at her. She screamed in shock, the grey returning the scream. She growled at him in anger, yet she was still happy to see her friend. However, she didn't let him see that. The grey laughed._

_ "So, where's Barf?" He asked, his attitude turning negative when he mentioned him._

_ "It's Garth," Kate corrected sternly before walking away. "And for your information, we're just taking a little break."_

_ "A break?" The grey questioned, amused._

_ "Yeah," Kate replied. "Being an Omega, I thought you'd know what a 'break' is."_

_ "Oh, I know what it is, after all, I'm on break all the time!" The grey exclaimed. "The thing is, I don't know any wolf that takes a break ten minutes into a howl."_

_ "Well," she growled. "I do."_

_ "Hey, Kate," the grey said, searching for the right words. "Your new howling partner…well, he's, ah…well, he's not a stud. What's the word I'm looking for? It's like stud, but it's not, it just rhymes with stud…oh, yeah! He's a dud! A dud, that's what he is! Isn't he?" Kate gave a fake laugh._

_ "No!" She said, half-heartedly trying to act as though she liked Garth. "He is not a dud! He's, well, he's…"_

_ "Strong!" The grey exclaimed._

_ "Yeah!" Kate agreed. "He is very strong!" The grey got a mischievous look on his face and quickly ran to another tree, proudly standing in front of Kate._

_ "Proud!" The grey exclaimed. Kate smiled and ran up to him, agreeing once again. He leapt onto a small rise and cried, "He's an Alpha's Alpha!" Kate leapt up in front of him._

_ "That's right!" She agreed. "He's an Alpha's Alpha!" Humphrey grinned widely and winked at her. She looked at him with a confused expression, then understood just what he meant by that. She growled furiously at him._

_ "Oh, why you-!" Suddenly, something poked into her rear. Her vision began to blur and become distorted and she lost her hold on sense and reality. "Hmm, you're kind of cuuuuttteeee." She told him. Despite his confusion, he like this new mood swing from Kate._

_ "Really, you think so?" He asked. She began poking him with her paw and kissed him on the cheek. He flushed in embarrassment. "Well, thank you, first of all; but do you mean, a rugged, kind of, you know, handsomely cute-?" Then, something poked into his rear as well._

_ "Whoa, the mosquitoes are out of control tonight!" He exclaimed, and then the side effects began to get into his head as well. He looked at Kate as she gave him a lazy grin._

_ "I'll meet you on Mars," she said, collapsing. "Right after I eat the Milky Way!"_

_ "Oh, that sounds good!" He said, his words slurring and drool falling from his jaws. "Make sure you save some for meeeeeeeeeeeee!" He fell beside her, the two falling into unconsciousness. Then, humans appeared, taking them away in a terrible wolfnapping._

Kala gasped when she heard that her parents were taken away by humans. She recalled very vague description of humans before, but no one ever elaborated as to what humans did except that they were very dangerous and highly advanced creatures.

"What happened next?" Kala asked, almost too scared to ask.

"Shut up and he'll get to it, stupid," Firetail growled. His response received a soled thwack to the head by Garth's tail and a low growl. He whimpered and sank to the ground.

"Well, Kate and the grey met two birds, a goose named Marcel and a duck named Paddy that were incredible in the strange sport of golf," Winston said. "Marcel and Paddy helped Kate and the grey back home, but they were diverted off course when things got bad. Kate fell down a gorge, but the grey saved her life and they continued forward. They traveled into the mountains and were attacked by bears, but the grey managed to get them out of that situation as well. That night, they rode a human thing called a 'train' back to Jasper. That was the night they realized their true love for one another…"

_ They sat together in the train car, talking to one another as they had not done since they were young pups before Alpha School. Kate laughed and played along with the grey until they looked outside over a large lake at the luminescent full moon. The grey padded over to the train car's edge and began to howl._

_ "What are you doing?" Kate asked._

_ "Oh, sorry," the grey said sheepishly. "It's just, you know, the moon and the moment, I just thought…" She smiled at his apparent inability to explain himself. He stopped trying and sighed, looking into her eyes. "Oh, come on, Kate! Please, howl at the moon with me!" He continued to howl into the night sky before Kate succumbed to the sound of his voice and padded up to him._

_ She waited for a moment, hesitating, wondering if what she was about to do was the right thing to do. Then, her heart filled with joy, she began to howl with him. Her beautiful voice startled the grey for a moment, but when he realized she was howling with him, he began to howl in perfect melody with her. Their hearts and minds joined in the howl and at that moment, they knew as all wolves knew, that they were meant for one another. When the howls of two wolves matched and supplemented each other, the wolves knew that they were a perfect pair and therefore meant to be mates._

_ However, they returned to Jasper and the grey had his heart torn apart when he discovered that Kate was to be mated with Garth. At this point, Garth had grown close to Kate's sister, Lily, and had learned to howl. The choice affected Lily and he just as it affected Kate and the grey. Despite this, however, Kate was willing-though not happy-to do as her duties required of her. _

_ The next day, Marcel and Paddy learned from the grey that Kate was to be mated with another wolf and they led the grey to the train tracks where he wished to leave and become a lone wolf. In the mating ceremony, however, Kate refused to follow through and declared in front of all of the wolves that she was in love with the grey Omega. His friends cheered for their friend, but the rest of the wolves were not so happy about the ordeal and began to fight._

_ Wolves fought one another in desperation in the valley, the sound of battle carrying to the caribou further down the valley. The dumb animals panicked and thought that they were in danger, stampeding out towards them. In terror, the wolves began to run to the sides of the valley, but Winston and Tony were caught in the middle. Kate watched in horror as the caribou quickly gained on her father and the Eastern Leader Wolf. Suddenly, the grey jumped out into the open. Kate was surprised and elated to see him and for a brief instant, forgot about the troubles at hand, simply glad to see her love back in Jasper._

_ They returned their attention to the stampede, however, and began to enact a plan to ride a log sled down to the valley and save them. They crashed into the valley, the log sled landing in a way that Winston and Tony could use for cover. The grey and Kate crawled carefully towards them as the caribou leapt around them._

_ "I told you we'd make a good team," Kate told him with a bright smile on her face._

_ "You said that?" The grey asked with a large grin. "I thought I said that!"_

_ "Well, now I realize that we really do," she said. He smiled and they began to run to the log sled. Kate, however, didn't make it. She was kicked in the head by a caribou. She immediately flew back and was quickly battered by more wolves. _

_ "KATE!" The grey screamed. He leapt over her, using himself as a living shield to protect herself from the caribou. The animals struck him several times, battering him severely, bones cracking as they hit him. Tony and Winston snarled at the caribou and tried to drive of the caribou until the stampede ended. The grey achingly sat up, nosing Kate._

_ "Kate," he whispered. "Kate, get up. Please, Kate…please, Kate, don't do this!" He continued to nudge her desperately, trying to wake her up. She wouldn't wake, however, and tears fell from his eyes. He collapsed into her fur and sobbed. "I love you, Kate…Do you hear me? I love you." He sat up and began to howl a low, mournful requiem for Kate. The rest of the wolves joined in, their united voices flowing into the sky and reaching the heavens. _

_ Suddenly, Kate moved, groaning. Her eyes began to open and she dragged herself up. The two admitted their love for one another and became mates moments later, the pack uniting under the rule of Garth and Lily and Kate and the grey became a happy couple, howling their love to Fenrir himself._

"That all happened?" Kala asked Winston, her eyes wide with surprise when he finished his story. Winston smiled and nodded to her. "So, what happened after that?"

"The Great War," someone growled. "That's what happened." The wolves turned to see Humphrey standing on a rise behind Winston. "That's when over one hundred wolves died. You were born and survived, but Kate and your siblings didn't make it. That's the end of the story." The wolves looked at him in shock, astounded that Humphrey would say something like that. His eyes burned with hurt, pain, and fury. Kala couldn't understand why he acted like this, though. What was wrong with the Leader Wolf?

"That's when we realized what pain truly is," he growled. "That's when we realized what it really is like to lose wolves that we love. That's the day that everything we ever knew and loved was torn away from us, leaving us alone and without a home. That's how we got to where we are now. The humans destroyed our territory and murdered over one hundred wolves. That's what fuckin happened next." He stalked off, the wolves staring after him. Winston stared after him in sadness, the rest of the wolves stunned that he would ever say something like that. Kala watched as he left. _I wonder,_ she thought. _What's wrong with Humphrey?_

**A/N: Well, there's the new chapter! I think this must be the most dialogue I've ever put into a chapter before. Generally I don't like putting an excess of dialogue in my stories because I like to focus on detail and description as to make my stories better, but this chapter, however, comes as an exception due to what happened in it. Sometimes, I have to admit that dialogue is needed and I let it go on despite the fact that it kind of annoys me.**

**Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, the dark shadow, the silver wolf, and chiefdaniel117 for reviewing my last chapter! So, what did you think of this chapter? Did you like it? Did you hate it? What did you think of Winston telling Kala about Humphrey and Kate's journey? Well, that's all for today! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	7. Into the Mountain Pass

The wolves set out at dawn as Humphrey had ordered. Kala lazily got to her paws, blinking sleepiness from her eyes. Throughout the night she dreamt of Winston's story about her parents' journey to Idaho. She had never heard of it before, nor did she know where it was, but she was mesmerized by the fact that her parents had actually gone through all of that. She was astounded that they were privileged enough to go on such an amazing adventure, and wondered what they'd think of her if they knew she was on her own adventure with the pack.

She arched her back and yawned deeply in exhaustion. She felt energized and ready to move on, yet the daunting task of having to walk all the way to the mountains again was terrifying for her. She had hardly managed to move forward the previous day, needing help from the she-wolf just to get back on her feet, and still Kala was left far behind the pack by the time they came to a stop. Apprehension plagued her as they waited for Humphrey to lead them across the plains to the mountain pass that they were heading for. When the pack had assembled in front of him, they turned and began to walk north once more.

The mountains loomed ahead, casting long, dark shadows over the land. They were only a few leagues away from them now, having made a considerable amount of progress the day prior, far more than any wolf had anticipated. The snow-capped peaks could be seen from their position and the land became more rigid and began to roll as they closed in on the mountain pass. The flat grasslands gave way to sparsely forested regions of land. Trees dotted the land in sporadic, random locations. It was not a forest in the typical form of speaking, but there were finally trees.

It was the closest Kala had ever been to a tree before. She had seen them from afar in their life at the Small Grounds whenever she looked south, but she did not ever go near them for fear of becoming lost and by the strict regulations of Lily and Garth. Garth had punished Firetail severely when he snuck out of the den to the south. He was banished to the badger set that they had adopted as their home for three days and was forbidden to leave save for when he had to 'go,' in which case he was still accompanied by Garth or Lily as he did so. It was a miserable three days for him, something that gave Kala much satisfaction; after all, Firetail was quite the bully of a pup to her and deserved no better than a good punishment.

Now that Kala was finally near the trees, she could see them up close and know what they were all about. She sniffed tentatively at the trunk. She tapped it with her nose and leapt back in case it did something. The tree remained rigid and still. She touched the rough surface with her paw and pulled away, noticing a sticky substance on her pad. She panicked and ran over to Lily, crying out that she touched the tree and got something stuck on her paw. Lily laughed in amusement and explained that Kala's paw was covered in something called 'sap,' something that could be easily wiped off in a river, lake, or stream and was perfectly harmless. She began to calm down, her breathing slowing down as she calmed down. She noticed that dirt and other objects on the ground were beginning to stick to her paw. She tried to shake the objects off to no avail, grumpily trekking forward with everyone else.

She was able to wash the sap off in a nearby river when they stopped for the night, the mountains closer than ever. She noticed something on her paw pad that she had never seen before, a type of marking on her right paw that resembled three white scratch marks. A line jutted down from the lower of the three marks. She shrugged, knowing that it must have been a birth mark or a cut she had received earlier in her life. She had seen birth marks before; Winston showed her a mark on his left hind paw, something that resembled a crescent moon. She asked how he had acquired such a marking and he explained to her how and where birth marks came from. This, she decided, must be her own birth mark. She liked the look to it; it was a nice design on her paw. She sat beside the river, looking out at the mountains.

Garth had told her that mountains were enormous in size, but she had never truly been captivated by the size of the mountains in their entirety. The mountains were like massive behemoths, their jagged peaks reaching high into the night sky, clouds hanging low over them, obscuring the tips of the largest mountains. The mountain pass was between a twin pairing of mountains in the front of the range, leading into the rest of the forests and mountains within. She could see the twin mountains now, ominously sitting side by side, watching out over the vast grasslands of the south. Kala peered at them, seeing something move nearby. A bird of some sort was flying high amongst the peaks, a falcon or an eagle perhaps. She had been told that a Falcon was larger than Kala was at her young age, and this bird was barely visible amongst the mountains at all save as a black speck silhouetted against the snow-capped mountains. She hoped beyond hope that they wouldn't have to scale the mountains during their journey!

Humphrey padded on to look at the mountains as well. There was a lost look in his eyes as though he was missing something valuable. He looked around at the mountains, then to the skies above. The stars glimmered upon his eyes as he searched the night sky for something. Kala tilted her head, confused; what was the Leader Wolf doing? Then, her eyes were drawn to something on the Leader Wolf's right leg, a small object wrapped tightly above his paw. She couldn't tell what it was from the distance that she sat from him, but knew there was something there. What could it be?

**Day Eighty Three**

The day was cool and the wind was low, lightly brushing their fur pelts to cool them down. Kala enjoyed the presence of the breeze, smiling as it whipped through her silver fur. Firetail was not as fond of it however, as the wind was blowing his fur over his eyes (he wore his fur just as his adopted mother, Lily had in the past). He growled each time that the wind blew the fur over his face, wishing that it would go away. Kala, on the other paw, loved the brilliant feel of the breeze on her body.

It was midday when they reached the base of the mountains. Humphrey stopped the group before the pass between the mountains. Silence enveloped the group as they looked up at the massive land formations above them. Kala was amazed that anything could be so large in the world. Now she knew how small insects must have felt compared to herself despite her small size.

Humphrey looked at the forest, clearly unable to think of what to do next. The wolves were all very intimidated by the mountains, hesitant to proceed through. Even Humphrey and Scourge, the wolves that were quite arguably the toughest wolves of the pack, seemed to be shaken by the forest and mountains. Humphrey had been in the mountains before, but not these mountains, and all that Kala knew about his experience in the mountains is that it didn't go too well after he encountered bears in their snowy peaks. She had asked what he was doing up in the mountains, but Winston neglected to tell her. It always annoyed Kala when the wolves wouldn't tell her anything, especially anything about her parents, the Valley Territory, or Humphrey. How was she supposed to learn anything if no one would ever tell her anything?

Finally, Humphrey stepped through into the mountain pass. The wolves followed, looking around them at the massive, rocky slopes. Wind howled in the mountains above them, yet the forest was still very much alive and teeming with life below. Once winter came, that would change, but for the while, there seemed to be a harmony between the two current seasons of autumn and winter. They traveled through the mountains, searching for a place to stay. Humphrey didn't want to stay in the forest as there were still animals that may call it their home, animals that may not exactly appreciate the presence of a wolf pack in their territories.

They reached a cliff edge overlooking a rocky valley that showed the mountain range in its glory and immense majesty for endless leagues in any direction. The cliff allowed over fifty meters of room for the wolves to lie around and call a temporary resting place before they continued into the mountains. Scourge, Garth, and Humphrey went into the forest, leaving the rest of the wolves in the clearing. Lily tried to tell Firetail that he should show his eyes to the world like Lily allowed herself to do and move his fur, something that Firetail defiantly rejected. Salty and Sweets talked quietly to each other and the other four wolves of the old Eastern Territory sat together and conversed quietly amongst themselves. Kala sat near the edge of the cliff, looking out over the mountain range ahead.

She had never seen anything so amazing in her life, counting herself as one of the luckiest wolves alive to have the privilege to be traveling through them with her pack. She parted her jaws and scented the air as she'd seen her parents do in the past while hunting for prey. A host of new scents flooded her senses, almost overwhelming her. The multitude of various scents of the forest that she could hardly distinguish from one another, the snow-capped mountains, the cool air above them, and something else…an odd, tangy scent coming from further away in the mountain range. It smelled like nothing she'd ever scented before, like water but not like water, and it smelled as though there was a lot of water (if that was what it was, of course).

The hunting team brought in a massive animal into the camp, something that required the work of all three wolves to haul into the camp. It had massive antlers jutting from its cranium and a gash in its neck and hind legs. This, she realized, was a creature called a moose. All of the wolves looked hungrily at the massive creature and began to dig into it. Kala stood by its neck, looking at the massive creature. She knew how to rip and tear into small animals like mice, squirrels, and rabbits, but she had never done so with something so massive.

She bit into the moose's flank and pulled at it. The tough flesh would not tear, however, her small fangs proving useless in this battle for food. She tried using her claws to tear into it as well, but she couldn't get into it. Everyone else was eating the meat, though; even Firetail had managed to get into it. She whined pitifully for help, but the pack was too busy gorging themselves to hear her. Blood coated their muzzles as they dug into the animal, eating away at the meat, fats, organs, and tissues ravenously. She let her ears lie flat on her head and she walked away, lying down meekly as the rest of the pack ate away at the moose. Lily collapsed to her back, smiling ruefully, her tongue lolling out of her mouth when her hunger had subsided from eating the massive creature.

"I haven't eaten anything that good in moons!" She exclaimed. The rest of the wolves agreed, even Firetail. He, however, was doing so just for show; everyone knew that he hadn't eaten anything like that before. Kala sighed, looking away as the pack finished off every last scrap of the moose. Her heart felt heavy and her belly growled fiercely at her, but she ignored it and decided to not look at the moose and simply eat the next day.

Suddenly, a large slab of meat landed in front of her. She looked up in confusion to see Humphrey there. He dipped his head slightly at her and then walked away. She smiled and looked back at the moose he'd given to her so graciously. She began to tear into the already-ripped meat, quenching her thirst and hunger for the moose. Her mouth watered and senses tingled as she tore into the succulent meat, savoring every last individual bite of the precious food that she instantly fell in love with. It seemed impossible that anything could ever taste so good, yet there she was, eating the best piece of meat she'd ever sank her teeth into.

When she finished, she collapsed like Lily, her belly full and her eyes heavy. The stars and moon began to peer out from the cloud cover above, casting a luminescent glow over the ledge. Winston cleared his throat and gave a formal proclamation of thanks to Fenrir the Wolf God for providing them with the food and protection that they so desired and required, as well as a thanks to Humphrey for leading them there. The Leader Wolf grunted in response when he was mentioned and the wolves began to howl into the night sky.

Their voices intermingled and sang in the air like one glorious voice. Firetail began to howl as well; despite his more high-pitched voice, he was still able to successfully howl. Kala grinned as she watched the wolves howl into the night, their voices reverberating around the mountains and singing majestically into the heavens. She looked to the right near the cliff edge and saw Humphrey sitting there alone, looking out over the mountains.

Kala frowned, wondering why he always refused to howl with everyone. She looked at him and saw a glint in his eyes, a look that clearly portrayed agonizing loneliness. She felt a pang in her heart for the poor Leader Wolf, knowing that he had no one to howl with. She looked at him sadly…and then, she walked towards him. She took all of the bravery she could muster and walked towards him. She hesitated halfway, then persisted and sat next to him.

"Leader Wolf, sir?" Kala asked him. He looked at her, startled. Kala looked into his bright blue eyes, seeing the loneliness and despair that he tried so hard to bury deep within himself. She needed to talk to him, and she felt he needed her to talk to him as well.

"Kala?" Humphrey asked her. "What is it?"

"Why aren't you howling with the rest of the pack, sir?" Kala asked him curiously.

"I, well, I just…" He said, looking back at them, then back at her. "I just can't."

"Why not, sir?" She asked him.

"I haven't howled in a long time," Humphrey told her, looking down. "I haven't had anything to howl for."

"You got us into the mountains, though," Kala pointed out. "You can howl for that! We're howling in thanks for you."

"Why aren't you howling, pup?" Humphrey asked her. "I told you why I'm not howling, so why aren't you?" She looked down, shuffling her paws in embarrassment. Her ears lied flat on her head and she slouched over, looking away.

"I'm not a very good howler," she admitted shamefully. A ghost of a smile crept to his face when he heard her say that.

"Knowing your mother," he said. "I find that hard to believe."

"You knew my mother?" Kala asked him interested.

"Yeah," he replied wistfully. "I knew your parents. Your mother was an amazing howler, and if you're anything like her, then you'll have adopted that same great howl that she had."

"Really?"

"Really."

"What was my dad like?" She asked him. Humphrey stiffened and hesitated, looking for the right words.

"He…" Humphrey began. "He was a good wolf. He loved to have fun and loved your mother very, very much."

"Was he strong like Uncle Garth?" She asked him. Humphrey chuckled.

"Not quite," he replied. "Like your mother, he was a kind, caring, fun-loving wolf, and it was the most difficult decision of his life to give you up. He, well…he regrets that decision every day of his life."

"What's 'regret' mean?" Kala inquired.

"It means he wished that he never did that," he explained. "He wishes that he never gave you up, and he hopes that one day, you'll find it in your heart to forgive him."

"Do you think I'll see my dad one day?" Kala asked him.

"I think so, pup," he told her. "He's, ah, well…he's closer than you think."

"I hope I can see my dad one day!" She exclaimed. "I bet he's the best dad in the world!" Humphrey gave a weak, sad smile to her, nodding.

"I hope he is, Kala," he said. Uncomfortable, he decided to change the topic. "So, what's your howl like?" She looked away in embarrassment.

"It's not very good, sir," she replied.

"First of all, you don't have to call me 'Leader Wolf' or 'Sir;' you can just call me Humphrey," he told her kindly. "Second of all, let me hear your howl!" She nervously nodded and tilted back her head and released an attempt at a howl. Her voice shook and cracked. She coughed and looked away in disappointment.

"It's not that bad, pup," Humphrey told her softly.

"Yes it is," she whined pitifully. "I'm a terrible howler!" Humphrey looked at her sympathetically.

"You know," he said. "I wasn't very good a howling when I was your age either. Then, I learned the secret to howling." He said the last part with a wry smile and a wink. She looked at him in excitement, her tail wagging furiously.

"What's the secret?" She asked him, hopeful.

"I'm not so sure you're ready for the secret just yet," Humphrey said, grinning. "You may not be able to take the truth of the secret."

"Oh, please, Humphrey!" Kala pleaded. "I really want to know the secret!"

"The secret," he whispered softly, tapping her heart with his paw. "Is to sing from right here, okay? Don't worry about how you sound, just let your voice flow from your heart, alright? When you start, I'll join in." She nodded and closed her eyes, lifted back her head, and howled from her heart. As soon as she began, Humphrey joined in, their voices mingling and joining into one glorious howl.

The other wolves began to cease their howling and listen, watching Kala and Humphrey howl together in shock, disbelief, and true happiness. They thought he had told Kala who he was and she had accepted. Though they were wrong, there was one thing that could be made clearly certain: Humphrey and Kala were finally getting along and bonding with one another as father and daughter. Kala's howl began to grow in strength and her voice began to sing in the glory and beauty of her mother.

Humphrey heard her voice and stopped abruptly, listening to her voice. It chilled him to the core and he began to see _Her_ again. He saw her face. _No_, Humphrey thought angrily to himself._ Don't think about her. _He saw her walk smile. _No_. He heard her voice, looking deep into her eyes. _No_. He heard her declaration of love to him. _NO!_

Kala stopped howling and looked at her conflicted Leader Wolf. She looked down in despair, knowing that he hated her howl. In truth, it wasn't that he didn't like her howl; it was the howl itself; it was _Her_ voice. It was _Her_ howl. _No, no, no, no, NO!_

"I told you I'm not good at howling," she mumbled sullenly.

"No, no, you, ah, you did good, pup," Humphrey told her quietly. "You have a really good howl, Kala. Keep up the good work." With that, Humphrey left, Kala looking after him sadly.

**A/N: This was a BIG chapter for Kala and Humphrey if I may say so myself! Finally getting to talk with one another and even allow Humphrey to help her discover her howl? That's a big thing for them! Well, what's going to happen next? What did you think of the chapter? Thanks for reading!**

**Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, the dark shadow, and the silver wolf for reviewing my last chapter. Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	8. Return of the Dark Wolf

Humphrey stopped running, coming to a stop in the forest. He breathed heavily in the darkness; he needed to get away, to get far away from her. After he heard that howl, he had to leave; he had to, or he'd go completely insane. He ran, and he kept running for miles until he was sure that he was alone. He was within an easy running distance of the rest of the pack, but he needed to get away from them. He needed to be alone right now; he couldn't let anyone or anything get in the way of that.

He leaned over in exhaustion, his breathing labored from his quick sprint away. He had gone without any warning; he had just left as soon as he could. He leaned against a tree, and then he began to cry. He let his tears run down his face as he tried to wipe the memory of her voice from his head. Kala was a wonderful howler, no doubt, truly living up to her mother's howl, but therein laid the problem. It was just like her howl; wasn't it enough that her eyes bore her mother, but her voice had to as well? Could he never get any peace of mind without being haunted by what he'd done?

He spat at the ground, and he forced himself to throw up. He slumped down shakily after he did so, but he knew it was necessary. He had to get the taste out of his mouth; he had to rid himself of her blood. He had killed her; he had taken her life right out of her. Why couldn't he just wash the blood from his mouth? Why couldn't he be left alone? He looked down at his paws in terror, tears streaming down his face. With those paws, he'd torn open his mate to save their pup, only for him to be haunted by the poltergeist of her, to neglect his daughter in hopes that she would be safer that way, and to be hated by his mate. He was a disgrace, a failure of a wolf. What use was he to anyone or anything when he was despised by the only one he'd ever truly cared about in his life? He had lost her, he'd taken her life with his own paws, torn her Life Blood with his own fangs. He was a murderer, and outcast. He was nothing.

Dragging his tired form from the ground, he stumbled about, looking into the trees as though someone would come out at any moment. He somewhat wanted it, he wanted to talk to someone, but knew that he couldn't. Not like this. He was hardly the wolf he formerly was, and he was most certainly not the wolf he would want to be. This was wrong, this was all wrong! He didn't want to be like this! He wanted to be the fun-loving Omega that he'd grown up as, not the horrible, antisocial, neglecting wolf that he was now! He hated himself for doing this to his friends and he began to slam his head into the trees in anger, tearing at the bark with his claws until his paws began to bleed. He cried out and hit the trees in anger, his paws splitting as he did so. He ignored the pain in his paws and let out his anger and agony, setting his emotions loose on the world around him. He limped away and clambered back to the thicket he'd puked in. He walked past it and continued into the forest until he saw something moving in the distance.

A sweet voice whispered in his ear and he looked closely through the trees. He saw the flash of tawny fur in the moonlight, hiding behind a tree. His eyes widened in hope and he sprinted forward, hoping that his mind was not pulling cruel jokes on him. He needed to see her; he needed to scent her, to feel her body against his. He needed her with all of his being or he'd drive himself into the darkness of insanity. He followed her up the hills back towards the cliff until she hid behind a tree. He grinned and leapt behind the tree, but whoever was behind it had disappeared. His heart lurched in agony and he wailed in desperation as though he was a pup crying for its mother. He heard someone saying his name behind him, but he ignored the voice. He saw the tawny streak deeper in the forest. He padded towards it, his mind blank of all sense as he mindlessly pursued the she-wolf. He needed to get her, he needed to apologize, to empty his heart to her and tell her that he never meant to kill her, that he never meant for things to go so horribly wrong for them. This wasn't how their life together was supposed to be; it was supposed to be just that, a happy life together, but it wasn't to be. He had promised her happiness with him, but he had failed to keep his promise. He had failed her, he had failed her…He was a failure.

He heard his name being called again from behind him, louder this time, closer. He still refused to look around to the voice, his mind intent on tracking the she-wolf. He needed to find her, he needed to talk to her, he needed to…he needed…he didn't know what else he needed, he just needed her. It was like an addiction, something he desperately needed, something he could not survive without. Someone he could not survive without. He was suddenly and quite abruptly slammed to the ground from someone above. He struggled to break free as he saw the she-wolf's silhouette disappear into the forest, out of sight. He stopped struggling and began to weep in hurt, wanting whatever was on top of him to kill him, to take his pain away from him. _Humphrey_, a voice said. _Humphrey. Humphrey, Humphrey, HUMPHREY!_

"HUMPHREY!" Winston yelled. Humphrey's hold on reality began to return little by little and he could begin to make sense of the world around him. He looked up to see the old Alpha wolf pinning him to the ground, looking down at him worriedly. "Humphrey, can you hear me? What's wrong, son?"

"I'm all-I'm alright, Winston, I'm alright," Humphrey replied. Winston wearily let him up and Humphrey stretched his aching limbs, flexing his bloody paws. Winston looked him up and down in a studying manner, trying to see if he was alright.

"What happened?" He questioned.

"I got angry," Humphrey replied quietly, looking out into the forest. "I wasn't myself for a while there; I was running around hitting things and myself. I, um…I just lost myself for a moment. I'm okay now, I'm okay." Winston didn't seem entirely convinced by him, but nodded slowly as Humphrey sat down painfully and began to clean the blood from his paws. He couldn't return to the pack in this condition; that would only scare the wolves and demoralize them. It was Humphrey's job to keep them safe and get them to the Pack of the Winter Mountains alive, not to go crazy and leave them without a leader.

"I assumed that much," Winston said. "But I wasn't talking about what happened in the forest. I wanted to know what happened with Kala." Humphrey flinched when her name was brought up, stopping his cleaning. He shakily looked at Winston, and then looked away. Memories began to flash through Humphrey's mind, his insanity getting the better of him. Winston shook him, snapping him out of his trance. Humphrey vigorously shook his head and looked at Winston. He couldn't lie to the old wolf; he was a friend, a mentor, and the only father he'd ever known. If there was someone he could talk openly to, it was Winston.

"She has her eyes," Humphrey told him. "She has her eyes, her personality…her howl." Winston slowly nodded in understanding, knowing full well what he was talking about. Kala was so much like Kate that he was being driven insane by her. It was as though she was haunting him through his daughter, delivering unparalleled pain that coursed through his entire being and drove him over the edge of sanity and into the brink of darkness.

"I see her father's fur," Winston said. "Her father's personality, his liveliness, he Omega mind-set…I see just as much of you in her as I see my daughter."

"She's so much like her," Humphrey said softly, his eyes staring off into space.

"She's your daughter, Humphrey," Winston sighed, looking at his son-in-law in exasperation. "She's just like you and just like your mother. What I saw tonight was hope and love from a father to his daughter. She may not know who you are, but I know that she felt truly connected with you tonight; I know that you felt the same way for her. Humphrey, you have to tell her the truth."

"No," Humphrey muttered. "I can't do that."

"Humphrey, listen to me-" Winston began.

"No, you listen to me!" Humphrey snarled. "I can't tell her, not now, not ever! If she ever finds out who I am, she'll hate me! I neglected her for almost three moons of her life and had everyone tell her that I abandoned her to live with Garth and Lily. I blatantly lied to her face! If I tell her that I'm her father, she'll never talk to me! She'll hate me forever! She'll wish she was never born or worse! I can't tell her, I just can't!"

"I heard her tell you tonight that she wanted to meet her father," Winston growled. "I heard her say that she thought her father was the best there was, and she was damned right about that! Are you going to take away any chance of her knowing her only surviving immediate family member? Are you going to deprive her of the dream of seeing her father, to condemn her to a life of orphanage, to allow her to believe that you just walked away because you couldn't take care of her? She's not a mewling pup anymore, Humphrey! She's becoming a young she-wolf and needs the guidance of her father now more than ever! I heard you tell her that you would always protect her and always be with her, and so far, you've only succeeded in placing that burden on the shoulders of her aunt and uncle! Don't do this to her, Humphrey! She deserves better! Do you think that Ka-"

"Don't you _dare_ say her name!" Humphrey gave a feral snarl, his eyes burning with fury. Winston looked at him unflinchingly. "Don't you _dare_ bring her into this conversation!"

"Kate," Winston growled, looking down at his furious son-in-law.

"_DON'T SAY HER NAME!_" Humphrey roared angrily.

"Kate," Winston said once more. Tears began to fall from his eyes and he snarled, slamming into a tree. He struck the tree with his paw, beginning to break it again. Winston grabbed him by the scruff and slammed him to the ground, embracing him tightly as Humphrey cried. He sobbed heavily, Winston holding him tightly and whispering into his ear. "It's okay, Humphrey. It's okay. Just let it out, son. It's okay, it's okay."

Humphrey wept like a small pup, his shattered heart breaking into more pieces as he cried, old wounds opening within him as he remembered his mate. He sobbed and sobbed, Winston refusing to let him go. After a long while, his crying began to subside into choking sniffs.

"Come on, son," Winston said, helping him up carefully. "Let's go home."

**Kala**

Kala had gone to sleep sadly that night. Lily had tried to tell her that Humphrey-like everyone else in the pack-loved her howl, but Kala was stubbornly convinced that she was even worse than ever. The Leader Wolf had been so horrified by the sound of her howl that he ran away! How could that ever be a 'good' howl? She held back tears, sleeping away from the rest of the wolves. She refused to cry; she wouldn't let the pack think she was a cry-puppy. She curled up tightly, holding back the tears and aching sadness that she kept inside of her. Humphrey hated her howl and ran away because of it. That was bad enough for her.

The wolves fell asleep, Kala drifting away several wolf lengths from anyone else. She cried herself to sleep, her mind slipping into the world of dreams. This, however, was no dream she'd had before. This was a scary dream, one that sent chills down her spine and stopped her heart cold. She stood on a large black stone column, facing a stone bridge that led to a larger column over a vast expanse of lava. She had heard of lava before; she had been told stories of volcanoes by Winston, but it looked as though she was surrounded by an enormous, never-ending lake of lava around her. A Dark Wolf stood on top of the column ahead of her, two crimson eyes glaring at her from the dark wolf.

"Hello?" She called, frightened. The Dark Wolf leapt down, looking down at her darkly through the twin orbs of red. The wolf was massive, its fur unkempt, long, curved claws protruding from its paws. It looked, in a way, like a larger version of Scourge. It stood in front of her, looking down at her darkly. She shook in fear, her guard hairs standing on end, her tail tucked tightly between her legs. "Who are you? Where am I?"

_Do not be deceived by the lies of the Ancients,_ the Dark Wolf spoke telepathically to her. His voice was deep and scratchy as though he was choking on sharp rocks. _Do not let your pack fall into the darkness as your brethren have done before you._

"What do you mean?" Kala asked fearfully. "I don't understand!"

_All will be revealed in time,_ the Dark Wolf growled. _Unless your father does not stand up to his demons._

"My father?" Kala asked. "How do you know him?"

_IGNORANT PUP!_ It snarled, and then it bit into her shoulder. She screamed in agony and she awoke, blood flowing from a gash on her shoulder. The wolves woke up, startled, as Kala sprinted towards the forest, blood falling down her leg. Suddenly, Humphrey and Winston burst through the trees, looking down at her in shock.

Without thinking, she leapt into Humphrey, burying her face into his chest fur and she began to cry. Humphrey looked down at her in shock as the wolves began to walk towards them, looking down at Kala. There were many gasps when they saw Kala's condition. Lily immediately dashed into the forest, coming back moments later with a tight net of cobwebs in her mouth. Humphrey lied Kala on the stone ground and Lily began to wrap the cobwebs around the wound, licking the blood from her shoulder.

Humphrey looked down at her in panic. What had happened in their absence? Kala was sobbing hysterically, whimpering and sputtering incoherently. Lily's eyes were filled with concern towards her niece, Humphrey likewise. The entire pack-save for Firetail-had their attention on Kala, their worry peaking for her.

"Kala, it's me, Humphrey," he whispered to her. She weakly opened her eyes, tears falling down her silver-furred face. "Kala, what happened?"

"A Dark Wolf bit me," she wept. Scourge and Humphrey shared a shocked glance for a moment, and then returned their attention to Kala. "I saw him in a dream. He had red eyes and he scared me and then he bit me."

"Sam," Scourge seethed.

"Winston," Humphrey said. "I have to go find Sam. I need you all to protect the pack until I get back, alright?" Winston nodded curtly, understanding.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Scourge asked.

"No, I can move faster on my own and I need you to stay here in case anything bad happens," Humphrey replied. Scourge nodded and Humphrey returned his attention to Kala. He remembered the faint beating of her paw inside of her mother's womb. She was a fight, a survivor. She'd make it like she always did. He nuzzled her flank affectionately and licked the side of her face. "Stay safe, pup. We'll talk when I get back." With that, Humphrey ran into the night.

**Dawn**

"Don't put too much pressure on it," Lily told Kala, finishing up on cleaning the wound and patching it up. Kala's arm stung with the herbs that Lily put on her shoulder, but she bore through the pain. She took condolence in the fact that it wasn't as painful as when the Dark Wolf bit her. She was still shaking in terror from the encounter, afraid to sleep from the fear of seeing the Dark Wolf again.

"Okay, Aunt Lily," Kala said. "Thank you." Lily smiled and licked her between her ears.

"Scourge!" Garth called from the forest. The wolves could hear him struggling back in the trees. "Scourge, we've got a problem!"

"What kind of problem?" Scourge called back. Suddenly, a she-wolf tumbled into the clearing. Garth stalked out, glaring at her as the she-wolf tried to get back on her paws. Garth slammed her back down. The she-wolf was dark brown with a white chest and underbelly. The irises of her eyes were a dark pink, slightly resembling a lighter version of Lily's violet eyes.

She glared at Garth and growled at him when he slammed her to the ground, the rest of the pack looking at her wearily.

"Let me go!" She snarled. "Get off of me!"

"I scented something following us ever since we entered the mountains," Garth informed Scourge. "This bitch seems to be the source of the scent."

"Yeah, because you smell a hell of a lot better!" She growled furiously at Garth.

"Let her up," Scourge said. Garth obeyed, eyeing her. She growled at Garth and returned her gaze to Scourge.

"What the hell was that?" She snarled. "I get attacked for peacefully walking up to you?"

"We protect our wolves," Scourge said coldly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Kacey," she growled. "I'm looking for your leader."

**A/N: There you have it, everyone! Things have gone bad in the pack with Sam's return and his attack on Kala, and now things are more complicated with the introduction of a new she-wolf in the area. What's going to happen next?**

**Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, the dark shadow, the silver wolf, chiefdaniel117, and DP for reviewing my last chapter!**

**Extra special thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf for the suggestion of Kacey as a new OC to the story! Her introduction could very well make the story longer and add more personality to the characterization as I continue on with this story, and I've begun storyboard editing with her introduction that will make the story differ greatly from my original plans, but differ in a great way!**

**UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	9. Humphrey's Solution

Humphrey ran relentlessly through the forest. His eyes burned with fury and his mind was set on one thing: vengeance. He had been wounded by Sam in his nightmares as well, but this was going too far. This was his daughter; this was his pup that was almost three moons of age. Sam had absolutely no right to ever do harm to her and Humphrey would see to it that he got the message through his head. Sam could do whatever he wanted to Humphrey, but when he touches his daughter or anyone else in his pack, it would mean an immediate blood feud between the two. He didn't care if Sam was a Spirit Guide or not; scaring his daughter half to death and then dealing a heavy wound to her was not tolerable. He wouldn't stand for it!

He knew that Sam would only appear if he knew that Humphrey was alone and in the right place for a meeting with him. This usually consisted of finding a solitary clearing of sorts to ensure absolute silence from any spying ears. The forest in these mountains was incredibly dense, unwilling to give him the right place he required for a summoning with the Dark Wolf. His paws bled as he opened up the wounds he had inflicted upon himself. He snarled and ignored the pain, continuing on nevertheless. Suddenly, a tree branch fell in front of him. Before he had time to react, he slammed headlong into the branch, tumbling forward into the ground.

Looking back, he saw that the branch had not naturally fallen by force or other sources; it had been thrown at him from an otherworldly force. Sam was near. Humphrey growled, looking around in the darkness of the forest in anger. He knew that trying to scent the Dark Wolf was futile; he produced no distinct smell, nor did he make any sounds save for when he talked, growled, or snarled, all of which would be transmitted telepathically to him unless Sam decided otherwise.

"Come out!" Humphrey snarled, his eyes darting about. "Get out of your shadows you coward! Sam! Get out now!"

_Do you always find it necessary to raise your voice in petty circumstances? _A voice asked him. He whipped around to see Sam sitting atop a large tree branch, glaring down at him with his crimson eyes. Humphrey snarled at him.

"'Petty circumstances?' Is that what you call this, Sam?" Humphrey demanded. "Just what the fuck was that back there, huh?"

_Please, do elaborate, Young Grey,_ Sam said with smug smile. _I know not of what you speak unless you dive into greater detail._

"You know damn well what I mean!" Humphrey yelled at him. "You have no right to harm her! None! You're a heartless, soulless bastard! Come down!"

_Ah, we have an intelligent enthusiast here, _Sam said sarcastically. _What, you didn't figure that I had no heart or soul before you knew I was simply a spirit?_ He faded away, dissipating into the air. Darkness began to come together and form into the form of the Dark Wolf before Humphrey.

"Why did you attack her?" Humphrey growled.

_I meant no harm,_ Sam replied innocently.

"You meant no harm?" Humphrey roared. "She was scared to death and blood was falling from her leg like a flood, yet you have the audacity to say that you 'meant no harm?' What the hell are you playing at, Sam?"

_I do not like to play games,_ Sam said. _Especially not physical games; I always feel left out because I am not technically solid matter._

"Your fangs beg to differ," Humphrey spat.

_I do not fully control the world of dreams, I can only express my concerns in them and give a plausible way to gain the attention of the beings I wish to make contact with. If that means that I must prove that the dream was more than just a dream and on the latter side of an omen, I will make sure that there is always a souvenir left over. _

"Then why not just haunt me again, huh?" Humphrey asked. "Why target Kala?"

_Unlike you, Young Grey, she is not being haunted by a demon already. You should be grateful; I decided to be nice to you and not give you any more nightmares. _

"No, fuck that!" Humphrey snarled. "I'm not being haunted by anyone or anything! Kala didn't deserve that!"

_Ah, but you are being haunted, Young Grey,_ Sam said with a glare. He walked away, Humphrey trailing him. They walked steadily through the forest, Sam leading Humphrey deeper into the darkness of the mountains.

Humphrey's mind whirred with questions: what did Sam mean that he was being haunted? Why did he choose to attack Kala and not him? Why was he here now after abandoning them for almost three moons after the Great War?

_All questions will be answered when we arrive at our destination,_ Sam said.

_Great,_ Humphrey thought bitterly. _Now he's in my head._

_Yes, now you have three presences within your quite dilapidated mind, Young Grey: your conscience, my influence, and your demon._

"Why don't you just let me have my mind to myself?" Humphrey growled. "Can't I have the luxury of my thoughts being my own?"

_Your mind is quite cluttered and interesting, Young Grey,_ Sam said as they began to ascend up a hill. _I enjoy studying its contents. You are atypical, Young Grey; a quite interesting specimen of wolf. You have quite the mind to look into._

Finally, they arrived at the top of a hill overlooking endless leagues of forest and mountains. Humphrey's jaw dropped like a stone as he stared into the vast wild spread out before him. He had hoped that they would be out of the mountains within a week or two, but this expanse…this could take them moons, maybe even years to cross! His heart sank at the thought of staying in the mountains for that long; how would they find the Pack of the Winter Mountains if they were trapped in the mountains?

_Your journey is far longer than you think, Young Grey,_ Sam said, sitting beside him. _You are a foolish wolf to have ever believed that you could traverse this terrain in such a short period of time._

"I'd never been this far north before," Humphrey breathed, aghast. "I've never heard of any wolves that had crossed it before."

_That is solely because all of the wolves that attempted to cross these mountains alone didn't make it this far. You must understand that there are many dangers in these mountains, more than just the Longfangs. _

"Great, there's Longfangs in here too?" Humphrey grumbled in resentment. "This day just gets better and better."

_The Longfangs will be the least of your worries, Young Grey; they will seem like-as your society would call them today-as though they are merely push-overs compared to the perils you will face in these mountains._

"Perfect," Humphrey muttered sarcastically. "I suppose you're going to neglect to tell me what those 'perils' are as well?"

_Where would the fun be in informing you of them?_

"Where would the survival part be in not telling us?" Humphrey retorted.

_Touché,_ Sam said with a grin.

"Look, I need to get back to my pack, Sam," Humphrey growled. "I'll ask my other questions later, so I'll just come out and ask you one for now."

_Well, there's a surprise,_ Sam said with a mocking smile. _Since when have you not wanted to talk overzealously with me?_

"Cut the shit, Sam," Humphrey growled. "What are the demons you're talking about and why did you choose to attack Kala to tell me?"

_I decided to warn your daughter as a clear sign to you; I am quite shocked that you have not seen the sign already. Otherwise, allow me to elaborate as to my grand design of your pandemic. You are haunted by a Demon Spirit that you have created deep within the recesses of your muddled conscience derived from the death of your mate,_ Humphrey flinched at the last part and Sam continued. _Your mind lingers and dwells in the shadows of the past rather than that of the future, and it is beginning to affect any possibility of a relationship with the only one that you have left. You cannot remain trapped in the past; you must focus on the future and realize that your daughter needs you. You must learn to let go of your mate, and only then shall you be free._

"But if I let her go," Humphrey told him in sorrow. "Then I'll have nothing left. I don't care if she haunts me; in fact, I welcome it! I love it! It means that I can still see her! Don't you see, Sam? This isn't a curse, this is a blessing! I can still see her, Sam! I can still see her!" Humphrey's eyes were beginning to show signs of clear, insatiable madness. Sam looked down at Humphrey, studying him.

_Beware, Young Grey,_ Sam growled. _The path you walk is a path of darkness and everlasting despair and agony. Many a wolf before you have succumbed to the madness that you are welcoming with open paws. If you are not weary, you will become a Mad Wolf, and you will kill your pack just as your friend, Shakey, was killed in the grasslands of Jasper._

"That's impossible," Humphrey said with a smirk. "Mad Wolves are created when the animal inflicted with the foaming mouth disease bites you."

_That is one way to tread the path of darkness,_ Sam warned him. _I have witnessed enough wolves drive themselves into insanity by doing exactly what you're doing now. Do you wish to become a Mad Wolf? Do you wish to kill your daughter?_ Humphrey looked at him, beginning to realize the severity of the situation at his paws. No, he couldn't kill Kala. He couldn't hurt her, he could never do that!

"What do I do?" Humphrey asked him pleadingly. Sam turned away and began to walk into the forest. "Sam, Sam wait! I need help!"

_Let go of your mate and let your heart give way to retribution,_ Sam responded. _Tell the Silver Pup what she needs to know._ With that, he dissipated into the air, leaving Humphrey standing alone on the hill. He had given Kala up to protect her, to keep her safe; he did it because he thought that what he had done was the right thing to do. Now, he realized that he couldn't keep that up anymore. He had to tell Kala the truth. He could do that, and he could only hope that the repercussions of his actions would not come back to bite him, and he could only hope that Kala would forgive him and understand what he had done. But he could not let go of Kate. He couldn't let her go, no matter what Sam or any other wolf said. Not now, not ever.

**Kala**

Kala was intrigued by the brown she-wolf that had happened upon the pack. She had never seen another wolf outside of the pack before, and she was quite interested in Kacey. The wolf was well into her second year of life and was exceptionally beautiful. Kala was jealous of Kacey's looks in that sense. She wanted desperately to talk to her, but Lily forbade her from having contact with the she-wolf at all.

Humphrey had been gone the whole day and Kacey was most definitely not happy about it. She obviously wanted to talk to him as he was the leader of the pack, but he wasn't around to do that. She refused to give anyone any information about herself or why she had been following them. This agitated Scourge and Garth, the rest of the pack remaining incredibly weary of her. They didn't trust her, and they had good reason not to. She had come out of nowhere, a complete stranger and a lone wolf at that simply barging in on their pack demanding to speak with the Leader Wolf. Who did she think she was to act like that?

Still, Kala found herself oddly drawn to the she-wolf and wanted more than anything at the moment to speak with her. Kala was beginning to cope with her newfound injury, though she still feared the recesses of her mind, terrified of another encounter with the Dark Wolf. She thought it best that she simply would not sleep ever again, but in her best interests, Lily explained that doing so was not quite possible, nor was it a particularly good thing to do in the first place as it could lead to health problems, exhaustion, and make her incredibly cranky.

She limped about the open stone ledge clearing, trying to keep her weight off of her leg. She didn't want to accidentally make it bleed again; she had found a phobia in the sight of blood. It unnerved her that she was so frightened by the sight, but then again, the only blood she'd seen prior was the blood of prey-food, not her own blood. She hadn't ever truly put thought into the meaning of death, but she began to realize what it meant. She knew now that it wasn't just a long sleep, and knowing that it happened to her mother and siblings, she was both saddened and horrified, knowing that she could very well have died from the blood loss.

Bored, Kala began to exercise her limbs by walking around the clearing, careful not to put too much weight on her injured leg. She felt better from doing so, but still found little interest in the action. Garth watched the forest, Scourge and two of the Eastern wolves out hunting for food. The other two were basking in the sunlight together. Winston was staring out over the forest, lost in his own thoughts, and Lily was tending to Firetail, grooming his fur which-to Lily's dismay and annoyance-Firetail was quite resistant towards.

"Hey, pup," the she-wolf said. Kala turned to see Kacey lying down, staring at her through her gorgeous dark-pink eyes. Kala looked back wearily at Lily, making sure she wasn't looking, and then approached Kacey. She flicked her tail at Kala's wound. "What happened?"

"I got bit," Kala whispered. "By a mean Dark Wolf."

"Aw, you poor thing," she said affectionately. Kala was caught off guard by Kacey's reaction; it was motherly, caring, exactly like Lily would react to Kala's injuries in the past. She was confused by her response, yet she was also thankful for it and felt warm inside. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Aunt Lily said I'll be fine," Kala said with a smile, sitting down one tail-length from Kacey. "But she said I can't walk on my leg for a while or I'll hurt myself again."

"You have a smart aunt," Kacey told her. "You should be gracious that she was able to help you."

"I am, she's the best!" Kala said. She realized she raised her voice and looked around, but none of the other wolves took notice of her.

"I'm Kacey," the she-wolf said to Kala, flashing her a warm smile. "What's your name?"

"I'm Kala," she replied quietly. Kacey smiled at her.

"That's a beautiful name, it really fits for you," she said. Kala's smile broadened at the compliment. "You know what the name means, right?" Kala cocked her head, confused. She shook her head no and Kacey smiled.

"It means Wolf of the Stars," Kacey informed her. "So that makes you Kala of the Stars."

"That's cool!" Kala said enthusiastically, liking her title. "What's yours?"

"My name means Brave Wolf, so I'm Kacey of the Brave," she replied.

"I like your name, Kacey," Kala said.

"KALA!" Lily screamed. Kala's ears flattened against her skull and her tail tucked tightly between her legs. She looked shamefully back at her aunt as Lily stalked over to her. She batted her against the head with her paw. "What did I tell you, pup? What did I say?"

"You told me not to talk to the she-wolf," Kala replied miserably. "I'm sorry, Aunt Lily, I'm sorry…"

"You should be ashamed of yourself, pup!" Lily growled. "I never took you to be the kind of pup to deliberately disobey me. Get over to Firetail now; you're not leaving my side until this she-wolf is gone!"

"It wasn't her fault," Kacey growled, rising to her paws. "I called her over because I wanted someone to talk to. Don't beat her up over it, I'm the one to blame."

"I'd gladly beat you for associating yourself my niece!" Lily snarled. "Stay away from her!" Lily shoved Kala back toward Firetail, Kala whimpering sadly. Firetail smirked at her, Winston giving her a sympathetic look. Kala hung her head low as she was led back to their resting place. Lily lectured Kala for a long while as the sun began to set until suddenly, Humphrey burst from the forest.

"Humphrey!" Winston greeted with a smile. "It's good to see you!"

"Yeah, good to see you too," Humphrey said. "Look, I have to talk to-" suddenly, he saw Kacey looking at him. He looked at Winston. "Who's this?"

"She's been stalking us ever since we entered the mountains," Garth told him. "She won't tell us anything and said she'd only speak to you." Humphrey looked at her quizzically, but before she could say anything, Humphrey turned to Garth.

"Look, I'll deal with her later, but I have to talk with Kala right now," Humphrey said. Kala lifted her head, her ears perking up. What did Humphrey want with her? All of the wolves looked at Kala, an odd gleam in their eyes as they looked between her and Humphrey. There was something in Humphrey's eyes as well, something she couldn't quite place her paw on. He had to tell her something, but she couldn't understand what that 'something' was. "Come with me, pup." Humphrey said, walking into the forest. Kala looked up at Lily, her aunt nodding solemnly to her. She began to follow the Leader Wolf into the forest. What did Humphrey want with her?

**A/N: Well, there you have it everyone! There's not much to say about this chapter because I'm sure you're all bursting with excitement and apprehension; after all, we all know what's coming in the next chapter! Or…DO WE? (Evil Laugh) Well, I guess we'll find out what happens next soon! I'll do my best to update tomorrow, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to because I have a doctor's appointment and I'm helping a friend with a chemistry project tomorrow afternoon so I might be hard-pressed for time with the next update, and I won't be able to update as much next week because of exams, but after that things should return to their regular schedule with me sending out frequent updates. Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, the dark shadow, and the silver wolf for reviewing my last chapter! Once again, special thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf for suggesting the OC of Kacey! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	10. A Father's Retribution

Kala followed Humphrey through the forest as the sun began to slowly set over the mountainous horizon. There was an unnerving silence between them, the only sound made coming from their paws treading on the ground. She noticed his paws had flecks of blood on them and were slightly swollen. She looked at him in concern, wondering if he was hurt when he ran into the forest looking for a wolf called 'Sam.' She had wondered what he was talking about ever since that night; there weren't any wolves in the pack with the name of Sam. Still, he had come back for one reason or another, and now he wanted to talk with Kala.

Her tail drooped when she realized that she must be in trouble. She had talked with the she-wolf, Kacey, and that earned her a strong lecture from her Aunt Lily. Now, she was probably going to be severely lectured by the Leader Wolf. He led her down to a small pond, the golden sunlight reflecting off of the water's surface. Humphrey sat down beside the water, looking at his reflection. Kala joined him and they looked at their reflections together. She was fascinated by how similar they looked, though her fur was a brighter silver than his darker grey, and his eyes were blue whereas hers were amber like her mother's. Yet…she and Humphrey looked so similar. Despite their gender and age differences, they looked almost exactly alike.

Humphrey's eyes darted away from the image and he padded to a fallen tree, looking away. Kala watched him intently; curious as to what he was doing, her mind whirred with questions to ask, but she was too scared to ask them. She knew the Leader Wolf was troubled by something, but didn't understand by what. Perhaps she reminded him of one of his pups that he'd lost? That would make sense considering that they looked so similar; perhaps he had a pup that looked like Kala. Now, it all was beginning to make sense as to why he didn't like to associate with her. She reminded him of his pup so much that he was sad every time he looked at her! Kala was sympathetic to the poor Leader Wolf, wishing that she looked different so she wouldn't cause the Leader Wolf so much pain and misery.

She waited for him to speak, not daring to open her mouth in case she would get in trouble for doing so. He didn't move, didn't make a sound. All that lingered between the two was an uncomfortable, awkward silence. She shuffled her paws nervously, drooping her head in shame, ready for a lecture if that was what she was in for. Humphrey looked back at her, his eyes filled with pain as he looked at her. Kala looked away, not wishing to displease the Leader Wolf. He padded up to her and sat down one tail length from her, looking down at her. Her tail curled to her paws in a personal embrace.

"You're just like your mother, Kala," Humphrey said softly. She looked up at him in confusion; wasn't he angry with her? This most certainly wasn't what she was expecting from him, especially after deliberately disobeying Lily's commands. Then again, no one ever told Humphrey that she had talked to the she-wolf, and he definitely didn't recognize her when he came to the clearing. Perhaps she wasn't in trouble and this was something else. Maybe he was going to help her become a better howler? "You have her eyes, part of her personality, and her beautiful howl."

"I thought you didn't like my howl," Kala said. Humphrey smiled at her, his eyes warming as he looked at her. This was quite an odd wolf; he had neglected her for moons, and now he was suddenly complimenting her? What was going on?

"No, you have an amazing howl, Kala," he said. She heard the truth in his voice as he said that. "Your mother was the best howler I'd ever had the privilege to meet, and it seems that her howl has been preserved within you."

"Thank you, sir," Kala said graciously, her heart welling with pride.

"Please," he said with a chuckle. "It's just Humphrey."

"Oh, sorry; thank you, Humphrey." He smiled at her and they sat there together for a long while before his smile faded and he looked lost for words.

"You have your mother's eyes, her howl, and part of her personality," Humphrey repeated. He took a deep breath, shaking. He looked uncomfortable, nervous…_scared_. Kala tilted her head, wondering what plagued her Leader Wolf. He looked at her, staring deeply into her eyes. Their gazes locked, the intensity of their stares burning within themselves. Finally, he found his voice and was able to talk to her again. "But you have your father's looks, part of his personality…and his blood flowing within you. Kala, do you remember your father? Anything about him?"

"I remember something always touching me when I felt scared," she admitted. "I think it was my dad; he was always there to comfort me until he left, then Lily and Garth would do that instead, but I never felt as safe and cared for by them as I did when my dad touched me." Humphrey nodded in understanding.

"Kala, I told you that your father was closer than you think," Humphrey said. "I meant it literally. I knew your mother, and every time I look at you, I see her. That's why it was so hard for me to talk to you; I was always reminded of her when I saw you, and I was so afraid to talk to you because of what I did to you, and I regret it every day. I can only hope that you can forgive me, Kala. I'll understand if you hate me forever, I can't expect you to forgive me easily for what I did to you. I'm so, so sorry, Kala."

"What do you mean?" Kala asked fearfully.

"Kala…I know your mother because..." He struggled for words, his heartbeat quickening. "I know her because she was my mate…I gave you to Lily and Garth because they were the only wolves I knew that could take care of you…because I had to lead the pack and protect them, and I hate myself for what I did. I regret every single thing I did, and I wish I told you this moons ago, but I was afraid. I wanted to keep you safe; I was going mad, I was hardly the wolf I used to be…but I'm not afraid anymore, Kala. I'm not afraid. Kala…I'm your father."

Her eyes widened when she heard him say that. No, no it couldn't be true…he had to be lying! No, no this was true…she saw the truth in his eyes; she heard it in his voice. She looked so much like him…he knew her mother…It was true, he was her father. She was stunned, aghast, and unable to speak at all. Humphrey looked down in shame, his ears drooping, his eyes swimming in a lake of tears. Her mind was spinning with millions of thoughts swarming her conscience at once.

It made sense now; it all made so much sense. He was her father, Kate was her mother. That was why no one would ever tell her who her father was: he had told them not to tell Kala because he wanted to protect her from himself. She could see the pain that he tried so hard to bury deep within himself, the hurt that he felt every time he looked at her. It was the truth, ever last word of it. This wasn't some twisted lie to her, this was the truth. She padded slowly up to him, looking into his eyes. She looked at his grey fur, his blue eyes, and the jagged scars under his right eye. She knew he was telling the truth now; this was not a lie, this was her father.

A part of her hated him with all of her being. She wanted to bite him, to hit him, to scream at him to never come back and leave her alone. She wanted to run far away and never come back; this was what he had done to her. These were the repercussions of his actions. She hated him so much, she wanted him to die!

Yet, those feelings made less than a single percentage of what she truly felt. Her heart beat with a deep intensity that she had never felt before, her mind swimming with questions and possible answers, but only one thought rose to the surface, one thought that consumed all the rest. It was simple yet bore so much meaning for her. She looked deep into his eyes, tears beginning to fall down her face. Then, she voiced her thought to him.

_"DAD!"_ She screamed, her voice coming out as a choking sob, and she slammed into him, crying into his chest fur. Humphrey held her tightly to him, crying with her. Despite her newfound hatred for the Leader Wolf, he heart beat with an intensity of love for her father as they embraced one another, their tears soaking into their fur pelts. Humphrey gritted his teeth as he cried, Kala sobbing in hysterics into his chest.

Then, she let her anger run lose and she struck his chest with her paw feebly. He hugged her tighter as she did so, accepting the blows wholeheartedly. She screamed at him and hit him harder, Humphrey not caring that she was hitting him. He had deserved these blows, and he had deserved all of the hatred she felt towards him.

"Don't leave me again, Dad!" She sobbed. "Please, don't leave again!"

"I won't, Kala," he said, nuzzling her flank affectionately. "I'll never leave you again, pup. I'm here, Kala, I'm here."

**Kacey**

Kacey tapped her claws in a steady rhythm against the stone ground, her eyes looking away in boredom. Lily and Garth talked quietly, a tear falling down her face. Firetail grumbled to himself sullenly several meters away, looking at the ground. Salty and Sweets watched Kacey from afar, the other two wolves looking out over the mountains. The old wolf, Winston, watched the forest apprehensively. She didn't understand what the Leader Wolf wanted with the pup, but it seemed as though everyone else knew full well what was going on. She was annoyed that she didn't know anything…

The Leader Wolf and the pup, Kala, walked out of the forest side by side. All of the wolves looked at them and he nodded to them. Large grins appeared on the wolves' faces, a small smile appearing on Kala's. Kacey didn't understand what was going on, but decided that it wasn't important yet, nor were the wolves likely to share the information with her. The Leader Wolf nuzzled Kala and she realized what was going on: she was the Leader Wolf's daughter. She must have not known for one reason or another; that would make far more sense, after all. Then, he walked towards her. Kacey sat up straight, hoping that she was presentable to one of such high authority.

He looked her up and down, Kacey doing the same for him. He was a quite handsome wolf, her jealousy towards his mate peaking as she saw him. He looked so caring for Kala, like such a great father…she wondered if he was as great of a mate, too. She brushed the thought aside as the wolves began to watch the two.

"Who are you?" He asked her.

"I'm Kacey," she replied. "I'm from the Pack of the Fast Rivers."

"I've never heard of it," He said.

"That's because it was destroyed seven moons ago," she explained. "Humans tore my territory apart. I was the only survivor."

"Sounds like a familiar story I've heard before," he observed. "You must miss your pack."

"No, I never really had any friends in my pack," she admitted sadly, her ears drooping. "I was a lone wolf within my own pack, so I was able to cope well enough. I came north looking for the Pack of the Winter Mountains." The wolves looked at each other, the Leader Wolf studying her carefully.

"We are as well," he said. "Our territory was destroyed two moons ago; we lost a lot of friends and family that day. We hoped that we could seek refuge in the Winter Mountains. Now, why are you here?"

"I saw the Jasper War moons ago and I've been waiting here, hoping that someone might have survived. It's not really a great idea to walk around these mountains alone."

"So I've heard," he said. "I'm Humphrey, the Leader Wolf of the former New Pack."

"So what pack are you now?"

"We're the survivors," he replied. "We don't really go by the name of New Pack anymore."

"I understand," she said, looking at the wolves wearily. "I was coming to talk to you about perhaps joining you in your quest." The wolves glared at her, Humphrey glowering at her as well. Kala seemed to be happy with the prospect, but the others did not share her enthusiasm.

"That's quite a question for a wolf we don't know," Humphrey growled. "We can't exactly trust many wolves these days."

"I understand your reluctance, but I don't know anyone in these mountains and I can't travel alone," she told him, beginning to plead with him. "Please, I'll do anything! I just need a pack to stay with!"

"Dad," Kala whispered. Humphrey looked down at his pup and she whispered something in his ear. He nodded and looked back at Kacey.

"My daughter seems to trust you," Humphrey said. "I trust my daughter's judgment. I'll allow you to stay with us, but you are to be kept under watch at all times. You will not eat with us, you will eat whatever is left of our prey or hunt for yourself, and you will sleep apart from everyone at all times. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes I do!" Kacey replied excitedly, her tail wagging furiously. "Thank you so much, you won't regret this!"

"Prove it to me," Humphrey growled. The wolves began to disperse, Humphrey and Kala walking over to Lily and Garth. Lily smiled weakly at the two and they began to talk. When they were finished, Garth nuzzled the pup and Lily did the same, licking her, tears falling from her eyes. They, Kacey realized, must have been the wolves that had cared for Kala. Now, she was beginning to move on with her father. Kala gave a sad smile as well, walking off with her father to the old wolf. He smiled broadly at them, talking to them.

Suddenly, Scourge and the two other wolves that were accompanying him walked out of the forest carrying the body of a caribou with them. They let it rest on the ground and the wolves walked forward to eat from it. Kacey began to do the same, but received a threatening growl from Scourge. She backed of shyly, remembering what Humphrey told her. The wolves all began to eat, Humphrey and Kala lying side by side as they ate from the caribou. When Kala had trouble tearing meat, Humphrey would help her and give her meat of which she gratefully accepted.

She watched painfully as the wolves ate away at the caribou until it was little more than a skeleton lying on the ground. The wolves began to lie around the clearing, Kacey looking miserably at the skeletal form of the caribou. Kala walked up to her and dropped a piece of meat next to her, nosing it forward towards her. Kacey smiled thankfully to Kala as she walked away. Humphrey nodded to Kacey as they walked several meters away. Humphrey lied on the ground, Kala curling up beside her father.

"Goodnight, Kala," Humphrey whispered sweetly to her.

"Goodnight, Dad," she replied with a smile. He nuzzled her and licked between her ears. She giggled, obviously ticklish there. Kacey was touched by their affection for one another, smiling at the two. Her eyes were drawn to Humphrey in interest, and one question went through her mind: where was the mother?

**A/N: Well, there you have it! I had a snow day today, so I was able to write this really early! Humphrey finally admitted his identity to Kala and we now know that Kacey is attracted to Humphrey. What will this mean for Humphrey, Kala, and the rest of the pack? I guess we'll find out soon! Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, the dark shadow, and the silver wolf for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	11. Kacey's Ruminitions

Kala opened her eyes, peering around the clearing. It was just after dawn, the grey sky beginning to turn to a pale blue, and the lights of the shimmering stars began to fade into the space. She looked to her right and saw her father lying down beside her, peacefully sleeping. She smiled at him; she had never known what it was like to have a father before. Despite that Garth and Lily had assumed the roles of parents, it wasn't quite the same. She had to admit, however, that she was still quite surprised that Humphrey was her father. She would have never guessed that he was her father, but then again, it seemed so obvious to her now that she felt stupid for not seeing the quite blatant signs that clearly showed that he was her father and she his daughter.

For the first time in her life, she knew what it was lie to have a father. She quite enjoyed the feeling. He loved Kala and she loved him equally. A gentle breeze drifted over them, blowing against their bodies. She shivered despite the gentle nature of the wind and moved closer to Humphrey. She couldn't tell if he was asleep or not, but he seemed to instinctively drape his tail over her small body, pulling her closer to him. She smiled warmly at her father and nuzzled his paw. She closed her eyes again and let her head lie back slowly. She felt her ear touch something that felt like sticks and she curiously inspected what she had touched. It was the strange thing wrapped around his leg. She noticed how tightly bound it was, sealed together by a type of thick earth-clay, three violet flower petals ensnared within it. The petals were preserved by a clear substance that looked like sap, keeping the petals from aging and dying.

She marveled at the sight of the odd thing on his leg, wondering what it was. She took a mental note to ask him what it was when he woke up. She pulled his tail closer with her paw, letting the hairs tickle her nose. She resisted the urge to giggle and smiled. She looked ahead and saw Kacey staring at her from across the clearing. She averted her eyes, looking away sadly from Humphrey and Kala. She felt a pang of sympathy for the young she-wolf. She looked at Humphrey and then removed his tail, careful not to wake him. She padded silently to Kacey, the she-wolf's ears perking up, her eyes brightening.

"Hi, Kala!" She greeted. Kala flinched, looking around nervously. No wolves had heard Kacey, so she was in the clear for the moment.

"Keep your voice down!" Kala hissed. Kacey nodded vigorously.

"Sorry, I was just happy to see that someone wanted to talk to me," she whispered. She looked away again. "It's kind of lonely here." Kala sat down, looking at the she-wolf curiously. Her fur's color configuration matched that of her mother's, though the tawny aspect was replaced by a deep, luscious brown. Kate's eyes were also the same amber as Kala's whereas Kacey's were a dark pink, almost matching Lily's bright purple eyes in compared color contrast. She was a quite attractive she-wolf if Kala could say so herself, and she seemed friendly enough.

She was glad that Humphrey had listened to her when she asked if Kacey could stay in the pack with them. Kacey was surely grateful as well for his hospitality towards her despite her position as a lone wolf and a stranger amongst their group of survivors.

"Did you feel lonely in your last pack?" Kala asked her. "I thought you said you didn't have many friends."

"I didn't have any, really; no one liked me," she explained to Kala. She felt bad for the she-wolf; how could Kacey not have any friends? "But I at least knew everyone there, and even though they didn't like me, they still treated me as part of the pack. Here, I'm a loner; I don't know any of you, and it doesn't look like many of the wolves here trust me, either."

"I think you're nice," Kala told her with a smile. "The rest of the pack will see that you're nice too when they get used to you." Kacey nodded and looked at Kala questioningly.

"So, did you always know your father?" She asked.

"No, I found out yesterday," she said. "He couldn't take care of me and was afraid I wouldn't like him if I knew he was my dad, but he was wrong; I love him. He's the best dad a pup could ever have!" Kacey smiled as she said that.

"Where's your mom at?" Kacey asked. "Surely if he's your father, your mother must be somewhere around here?" Kala's ears flattened against her head, sadness crossing her face. She looked around at the wolves, seeing some of them twitch as they began to stir, waking up.

"I should go," Kala said, quickly scampering away and into Humphrey's warm embrace. She faced Humphrey, her back turned to Kacey. The she-wolf looked at Kala incredulously, unable to understand why she had reacted like that to her question. Kala curled up tightly next to her father, closing her eyes and slowing her breathing to match that of her resting father. She waited for an agonizingly long time for Humphrey to wake up.

She would, however, be patient and wait for him to wake on his own accord. Her mind whirred with excitement as she began to think of all of the things she could do with her father. They could go running together, hunting together, playing together…they could do whatever they wanted together! She forced her tail to stop wagging as to not disturb him from his rest, but her apprehension to spend her day with Humphrey got the better of her. She sometimes hated how the wolves' tails worked to show emotions and dominance. Why couldn't they just be there and nothing more? Then again, how would anyone be able to tell if a wolf was happy, sad, scared, dominant, submissive, or angry without a tail? What would be the point of it just hanging there if it couldn't do anything? She began to think of what life would be like without a tail, and she decided that it was too horrifying of a fate for any being to endure.

Finally, Humphrey began to stir as the rest of the pack began to awake from their sleep. Her heart began to beat rapidly in excitement for the day ahead of them, wondering just what they could do together to have fun. She pretended to be asleep, but he knew better than to believe that; after all, her tail was still wagging despite her attempts to stop it and her breathing was too quick to pass off as sleeping. He smiled warmly at her and licked between her ears, tickling her. She giggled and he did it again, causing her to laugh again. She looked up at her father, their eyes locking.

"Hey, Kala," He greeted. "How was your night?"

"It was good, no more nightmares," she replied. He nodded, smiling. "How was yours?"

"Well, now that you know who I am, I rested a lot more peacefully last night than I've slept in a long time."

"So, what will we do today?" Kala asked him.

"I'm not sure," he told her truthfully. "We seem to be doing well here, so I think we'll keep the pack in this clearing for a few more days before we move on. Why, is there something you want to do?"

"Something fun!" She said excitedly, Humphrey laughing amusedly.

"Alright, like what?" He asked. She looked about, wondering what they could do first. She thought hard, wondering what they could do, then, she looked at him mischievously. She bopped him on the nose with her right paw, Humphrey recoiling in surprise.

"Tag, you're it!" She yelled, darting away. He grinned and ran after her, chasing her about the clearing. He leapt over her, blocking her way. She skidded to a halt, but was not quick enough to bolt away. Humphrey bopped her nose lightly and ran off. Kala laughed and ran after him, the two running about the clearing. Humphrey tried to skid, but lost his footing and fell on his back. Kala leapt on his chest and bopped him on his nose again. The two laughed heartily, the rest of the wolves smiling at the two happy wolves. Kacey smiled at them; Kala was such a sweet pup, full of love, fun, and she was absolutely adorable.

Humphrey, however, stirred something within her that she couldn't quite place her paw on. He was most certainly attractive despite the scars under his eye; he was loving, fun, caring, affectionate, and strong. Once again, she felt jealous towards the she-wolf that had clearly won his heart, wishing that she could be with him. She knew that she shouldn't be doing this to herself; she shouldn't be getting herself tangled in the confusing web of love with a wolf she knew nothing about, but at that moment, her mind was focused entirely on Humphrey and his pup.

"Quite something, isn't it?" A voice said from beside her. She looked to see the old wolf, Winston, looking at them. A solitary tear leaked down into his fur, a happy smile plastered on his face as he gazed at the two.

"Yeah, it's good to see that there's still caring wolves out there in the world," Kacey replied.

"I've known Humphrey when he was a pup; we took him into the pack when our daughter-and conveniently, his later mate-was out exploring against our commands and found him out in the forest alone. We don't know where he came from, but he's been with us for over three years now. He's a good wolf."

"So you trust him?" Kacey asked. Winston looked at her.

"I trust that wolf with my life," Winston replied. "So does the rest of this pack. Had he been lost after the Great War, we would have all fallen into the darkness or we would all be dead. We're fortunate to have such a great wolf like him to lead us, just as you're fortunate that he allowed you to stay with us."

"The rest of your pack doesn't seem to think that was a good idea," she said sullenly.

"I have no reason to distrust you," Winston said. "None of us do; the only reason we do is because some of our wolves betrayed us before the Great War, trying to overthrow the leadership of the pack. Those to wolves over there, Garth and Lily; they were the former Leader Wolves. Lily is my daughter, an Omega, Garth the son of our former rival Eastern Pack, an Alpha. There was an attempt at overthrowing them, but Humphrey intervened and succeeded at stopping that from happening. After the Great War, they granted the privilege of Leader Wolf to him."

"Alphas and Omegas mating?" Kacey asked, incredulous. "Since when did that happen?"

"Since our packs united," Winston replied. "Humphrey is an Omega and his mate was an Alpha. Kala seems to have taken on the personalities and traits of both, though at this point, she seems to be acting more Omega than anything else."

"You said his mate 'was' an Alpha," Kacey pointed out. "Why do you say it in past tense?" He looked at the ground sadly, not meeting her gaze for a few moments.

"She died during pup-birth," he replied. "Humphrey had to watch her die and bring Kala back to safety. She was the only surviving pup in their litter. We don't know exactly what happened, but we don't ask him either. He's already been through enough, so we don't see why we should have to ask him what really happened."

Kacey's eyes widened, looking back at Humphrey as he played another game of tag with Kala. She felt her eyes water in sympathy for the poor Leader Wolf; he had lost his mate and now his pup was all that he had left. To keep from her that he was her father must have killed him inside, and she couldn't believe that he was strong enough to have made it this far at all. He was quite the remarkable wolf to have done that, but knowing about his mate's death gave her an idea.

If she wasn't there, then that meant that Kacey could try to get at Humphrey. No, she shook the thought from her head. This wasn't her; that was a horrible, selfish, manipulative, evil thought! How could she ever allow herself to have those thoughts? No, that's not right, that's horrible! She reprimanded herself for thinking something like that, yet couldn't seem to help herself. She looked at Humphrey and Kala, smiling. They were an interesting pair, and this was an interesting pack. _Interesting,_ she thought. _Very, very interesting._

**A/N: Well, there's the next chapter! This was short, but eventful in the act of foreshadowing. What do you all think will happen? Share your thoughts and opinions about the chapter and the story so far! Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, the dark shadow, and the silver wolf for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	12. Dinner For Three

Kala and Humphrey were spending almost every spare moment they had together; they were nearly inseparable, always doing something together. By the way they acted and the amount of time they spent together, one would think that they had never spent a moment apart in their lives. Kala rekindled the fire within Humphrey that drove his Omega personality; for so long, he hadn't had the slightest glimpse of something fun at all. Now, his daughter had managed to bring out the good old, fun-loving Omega back that everyone had known Humphrey for originally. The pack was happy for Humphrey and Kala, knowing that-in terms of biological immediate family-all that either of them had left was each other.

Lily was still sad that Kala was with Humphrey; she was ecstatic that Humphrey had revealed who he was to his pup, but she had grown so used to mothering Kala that she missed the young, silver she-pup around her all of the time. Still, Kala would go to Lily frequently when her father was not around and spend time with her aunt. She deserved that much considering all that she had done for Kala over the past moons of her life. Lily was always happy to see her niece come to visit her, though Firetail was still sour over her presence when she did return. Kala didn't understand why he had to be so mean to her all of the time, nor did Lily; still, he managed to aggravate her nevertheless, Lily scolding him harshly when he began to bully Kala. Despite her love towards her father, she did have to admit one thing: he was _terrible_ at the game Hunter and Hunted! Lily was excellent at the game and Kala had much fun when playing with her, but Humphrey was just blatantly bad at the game in general. That game, she decided, she would have to help her father out on.

When Kala wasn't around her, Lily would spend her time with Firetail. This, however, only resulted in a sullen, angry response from the pup. Kala didn't understand Firetail; ever since she could remember, he'd been seeking attention and recognition from his adopted parents, to try and steal it from Kala, but now that he had it, he didn't want it. Kala shrugged off the thought; she never cared too much for the extra attention drawn to her, but she supposed that Firetail deserved some of that attention now. After all, why would she need it when she was spending as much time as possible with Humphrey?

The wolves had grown used to Kacey's presence over the past several days, beginning to act more friendly towards the she-wolf. Kacey was happy to be talking to some of the wolves, talking to Salty's mate, Sweets, near overzealously. The two would talk about subjects Kala did not care for, however, and she would veer away from the two as to avoid icky she-wolf talks like that. She _hated_ when she-wolves talked about icky things!

Kacey had, however, taken a particular interest in Kala and Humphrey. Kala didn't know why, but Kacey was always around, hoping to talk to one of them. She had, on several occasions, tried to talk with Humphrey, but she was too shy to do so, slinking away or pretending as though she didn't want to talk to him at all. Kala was perplexed by the action of the odd she-wolf, wondering what she was doing and why she wanted to talk to Humphrey. He was such a nice wolf, too; how could she be afraid of talking to him?

The two began to openly talk without wolves glaring at Kacey in case she tried to take advantage of Kala. They were able to have quite nice conversations, generally talking about their favorite foods, games, and other activities. Several times Kacey complimented Kala on her appearance, Kala's face flushing with embarrassment. She didn't like to talk about that; that was icky she-wolf talk, and Kala didn't like that kind of talk at all! Every time that Kacey brought up the subject, Kala would avert from the topic and bring up something else that she found interesting. Kacey didn't seem to mind that she did this and they had very pleasant conversations.

Aside from her conversations with Kacey, Kala wanted to spend as much time with Humphrey as possible. As Leader Wolf, he helped out a lot on Area Patrols and hunting. As this wasn't their territory, they didn't scent mark anything, but they patrolled the forest to make sure there was nothing out there that could endanger the pack. This would take up many hours of the day, but despite Humphrey's occasional fatigue, he was always energized and happy to be around his daughter. Whenever he arrived, he would catch a glint in his eyes, ready to spend time with his daughter. Sometimes, he would hide from Kala and sneak up on her stealthily. He would tap her left shoulder and dart to the right as she looked. When she turned around, her father would be there with a large grin on his face. From there, they would run about the clearing and in the forest in their multitude of games. Humphrey, however, strictly enforced the mile limit of territory for her to go in. He forbade her from going outside of the mile radius of the clearing, a rule that she obeyed without question. The forest provided a perfect place for Hide and Seek, one of Kala's favorite games.

However, she would usually give herself away unintentionally when Humphrey was seeking her. She would hide in a bush or on a low branch of a tree and giggle every time that Humphrey came around. As their senses of scent were forbidden to use in the game as to prevent cheating, they could only use their eyes and ears to look for one another. However, if they didn't find each other within twenty minutes, they would scent each other out to make sure the other was safe. Other games they would play were Tag, Race, Play Fight, the (failed) Hunter and Hunted, and Kala's all-time favorite with Humphrey, Parent and Pup. The rules of Parent and Pup were simple: the other was supposed to take on the role of the other; in this case, Humphrey was the pup, and Kala was the parent.

Humphrey had never even heard of the game before, and it was quite amusing to see Humphrey act like a pup. To the rest of the pack, it was hilarious to see Kala try acting like a responsible parent. They stifled laughs as they watched the two play the ridiculous game, but Kala and Humphrey-despite the fact that it was funny to them as well-had an immense amount of fun playing it despite its ludicrous nature.

The two fit well together; Humphrey and Kala were almost never apart, their thoughts lingering on one another throughout the days. Kala felt like the luckiest pup in the world to have a father like Humphrey; he was amazing, fun, loving, and caring to her. Had someone told her moons ago that they were related, she would have called them crazy. Now, however, she couldn't believe what other wolves were missing out on; with Humphrey as a father, Kala felt amazing. She loved him with all of her heart and wished that he had been there with her throughout her early moons as a pup.

Now, Kala was beginning to grow up. She was mere days away from reaching her third moon of age; still a far stretch from a full year, but three moons old meant that she would begin to grow into a maturing she-wolf. She was growing rapidly, her head already level with Humphrey's shoulder. She would excitedly fetch Winston to compare the two in height each night. The two would sit side-by-side together as he studied their height, telling her if she was growing or not. At this stage of her life, however, there was rarely a day that she wasn't growing. Whether it be by a full inch or by a lowly measurement of a strand of fur, she was always growing, rapidly advancing on Humphrey's height and length.

Her fur began to darken slightly, though it still shown the brilliant silver that she had always had. Tawny fur began to poke out from her flank around her chest and belly fur as well as on the edges of her ears, on her forehead, and slightly on her muzzle. It blended in perfectly with her fur configuration and gave her a startlingly beautiful appearance. This resulted in a seemingly never-ending stream of compliments from the other wolves of the pack, especially from the she-wolves. Kala hadn't seen her reflection in quite a while, though; the wolves would bring back soaked moss from a river deep in the forest to drink from, so she hadn't had the chance to see what she looked like to confirm what the other wolves were saying about her appearance.

The sun was beginning to set over the mountains, Kala waiting patiently for her father and the hunting team to arrive with dinner. She couldn't wait to see him again; hoping, perhaps, that they would be able to play a game of tag or race before it became too late. The other wolves were busy with their own activities, save for Kacey, who was cleaning her fur. Kala didn't understand why, however, as she'd already groomed herself three times that day. She padded over to the brown she-wolf curiously, sitting in front of her. Kacey flashed Kala a friendly smile.

"Hi, Kala!" Kacey greeted happily. "What brings you here?"

"I was just bored," Kala replied. Kacey nodded in understanding. She decided to broach the subject of her frequent grooming. "Why are you grooming yourself so much?"

"Oh, that," Kacey said with a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I'm just always worrying about my looks."

"Why?" Kala asked. "You look so pretty!" Kacey smiled at the compliment and thanked her. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but was at a momentary loss for words. She waited patiently for Kacey to reply.

"Well, to tell you the truth," she said, whispering secretively. "I'm secretly trying to make myself look good for a wolf I like." She winked at Kala and the pup cringed. She could fully understand love towards family; she loved her father, her grandfather, and her aunt and uncle. She even loved Scourge for being like another uncle to her despite that he was not technically part of her bloodline, but she hated, absolutely _hated_, the thought of wolves icky loving each other! She thought it as disgusting that wolves would want to love each other like that and hated the prospect; then again, if wolves didn't love each other in that way, Kala herself wouldn't have ever been born. Still, it was quite gross to her that any wolf would want to love another.

"Oh," Kala replied. She didn't ask what wolf it was; she assumed it was Scourge or one of the other male wolves of the former Eastern Pack. She could most definitely see Scourge and Kacey fitting together, though Scourge didn't seem interested in her or any other she-wolf. He was friendly and caring towards the pack and Kala, but she couldn't see Scourge as the type of wolf that would want to be in love with another.

Humphrey and the hunting party emerged from the forest carrying a caribou and a particularly fat badger. The wolves began to dig into the caribou, Humphrey walking over to Kala with the badger. She walked away from Kacey and up to her father and the badger. Her mouth watered at the sight of the badger, the scent flooding her nose. He smiled at her.

"How was your day?" He asked her.

"It was good," she replied with a grin. "Do you think we'll be able to play after dinner?"

"You bet!" Humphrey told her with a friendly wink. She smiled as they prepared to eat the badger, but Kala stopped before she could bite into it. Humphrey looked at her curiously as Kala spared a glance back to Kacey. The she-wolf looked away, clearly lonely as she waited to see if there was any food left from the caribou after they were finished. Kala looked at Humphrey with pleading eyes.

"Kacey looks really lonely, Dad," she said. "Can we share dinner with her?" Humphrey looked at Kacey, then back at his daughter. His eyes softened over his daughter and he nodded with a small smile. She thanked him and licked his face, bounding over to Kacey as Humphrey grabbed the badger and walked over. Kacey looked up at them in surprise.

"Hi, Kacey!" Kala said as they walked over. She flashed a smile to Kala, and then her eyes drifted over Humphrey. She looked panicked, scared, and nervous to see him.

"Hi, Kala; hello, Leader Wolf, sir," she said, sitting up straight and rigidly, trying with an effort to make herself look presentable. Kala thought Kacey was quite funny; she was always nervous around Humphrey and wanted to make sure she looked her best when he came over, despite the fact that he didn't so much care for appearances.

"Please, it's just Humphrey," he said with a friendly smile, placing the badger between them.

"Oh, I see," Kacey said shyly, her ears flattening. "Well, hello…Humphrey."

"My daughter pointed out that you were lonely; I agree with her," Humphrey said. "Would you like to eat with us?"

"Oh, why yes!" Kacey replied without hesitation, excitedly. Then, she flattened her ears in embarrassment. "I mean, if that's alright with you."

"Of course," Humphrey said with an amused smile. Kala and Humphrey laid on one side of the badger, Kacey on the other. They began to dig into the animal. Kacey took small, tentative bites, trying to keep blood from her muzzle and paws. Humphrey and Kala, however, ate just like any other wolf did, not caring how much blood they attracted, knowing they could easily wash it off of themselves. _Kacey sure does care about how she looks,_ Kala thought.

Kacey looked as though she wanted to talk with them, but was too scared to do so. They continued to eat the badger until it was no more than scraps and bones. Humphrey began to lick the blood from his fur, Kala doing the same. Kala attracted more blood than she could reach, so Humphrey licked it from her pelt. She giggled at his touch, ticklish again. Humphrey laughed at her response.

"You're really ticklish, aren't you?" Humphrey asked.

"Yeah, I am," she replied, her ears flattening in embarrassment. He laughed and licked between her ears, causing her to giggle again. Kacey watched the two; she was surprised and delighted to see that Humphrey and Kala were so affectionate towards one another. When they had finished, Humphrey simply pushed the bones and scraps off the edge of the clearing's ledge and into the forest below. He returned and lay down next to Kala.

"So, Kacey," Humphrey asked. The she-wolf looked at him apprehensively and nervously, her ears perked up and her eyes wide. "Tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know?" She asked shyly.

"Anything you feel comfortable sharing," Humphrey replied with a shrug. "You seem keen on staying with us and I know all of the wolves of my pack well. You however, I know nothing about. I'm interested."

"Well, ah, I, uh…" She seemed lost for words, unable to tell what she wanted to say anymore. Humphrey and Kala looked at her expectantly and patiently. She flattened her ears, smiling sheepishly. "I like to log sled." Humphrey tilted his head.

"I thought I was the only one to come up with that," Humphrey said.

"You log sled too?" She asked, her tail beginning to wag.

"We made a sport of it in Jasper!" Humphrey told her with a grin, his mind drifting back to the days that he would log sled with his friends. "I thought no one else but us log sledded."

"I love to log sled!" She proclaimed. "I never had anyone to log sled with, though." She said the last part with a sad frown.

"I'll have to show you how to log sled, Kala," Humphrey said. "It's a lot of fun! Hey, if you like it so much, you can come with us, Kacey. Most of the wolves here like to go log sledding."

"I'd love to!" She said happily.

"If you find a good hill, just tell us," Humphrey said. Kala looked at Humphrey; he knew that look. He smiled and bopped her nose. "Tag, you're it!" Humphrey dashed away, Kala chasing him happily. Kacey watched the two intently, her gaze focused on Humphrey. She felt bad that Humphrey had no mate; similarly, she felt bad that Kala had no one to call her mother. She fantasized what it would be like for Kala to call her mother. She smiled at the thought and curled up for the night. As the night grew older, Kala and Humphrey laid down to rest.

"I think Kacey likes you," she told him. He grunted, not caring much for the she-wolf. He was nothing to him, and if she so much as touched a hair on Kala's pelt, Humphrey would make sure she would be unable to touch anything ever again. No one would touch his daughter, no one. Kacey was just another she-wolf in the pack, he didn't need to be caught up with her.

"I love you, Dad," Kala whispered, licking him. "Good night."

"Good night, Kala," Humphrey told her with a smile, licking between her ears. She giggled again, Humphrey smiling. "I love you, too."

**A/N: Well, there you have it! Another chapter! Thanks to The Silver Wolf, Dawn Walker Wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, the dark shadow, and Alexander for reviewing my last chapter! Just to point out to Dawn Walker Wolf's review, however, spring is actually many moons (aka 'months') away. If anything is coming up soon, it's the winter, and even that is another moon away at this point. Also, I was thinking of Kala, Kacey, and Kate and thought to myself "Hey, it's the three K's!" Then I realized just how that sounded and laughed my ass off (Don't worry, I'm not racist; racists can go fuck themselves)! Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**

**P.S. Thanks to (Guest) for recently reviewing my previous story, Into the Darkness!**


	13. Light of the She-Wolf

_Humphrey was running through the forest, strange creatures chasing him intently. Their bodies were hideously deformed, massive, claw-like blades protruding from arm-like appendages jutting from their shoulders. They growled, snarled, and made horrible, guttural noises as they chased him relentlessly. Their bodies were furless, the skin torn and decaying, blood and tissue showing all over the creatures. They were like horrifically deformed corpses, intent on shedding his blood and tearing him limb by individual limb. A horde of them chased him through the forest until suddenly, he crashed out, sliding along an ocean of ice._

_ He dug his claws into the ice, grinding to a stop. He looked back at the creatures and saw them slip and fall on the ice, crawling towards him. He didn't wait for them to catch up; he just kept running across the ice. Every time he felt himself beginning to slip, he unsheathed his claws, digging them into the ice to regain his footing. A raven flew overhead; wisps of shadow flew from its feathers as it soared overhead, cawing out. He looked at it briefly, not paying it much mind. He spotted a mountain range a few miles away; he figured that if he could make it to the mountains, then he could lose the creatures on the ice behind him._

_ When he approached the mountains however, he came to the realization that they were nothing but massive shards of ice jutting from the sea. They grew before his eyes, blocking his way forward. The raven flew over the mountainous shards, cawing more. The shards began to splinter and crack, falling down to the ice where he stood. His eyes widened and he darted back as the shards crashed into the ice, shattering the sheet ice he was standing on. He ran back in the direction of the forest as the ice shattered around him. He saw the creatures running towards him, so he diverted his course to the left. The ice shattered into hundreds of flows. He slipped and crashed on to one of the flows, the dark, icy water ready to swallow him in their depths if he was not careful. _

_ He leapt from one flow to another, clutching the ice tightly. It rocked on the sea, the freezing water soaking him. He shivered uncontrollably, water falling from his fur onto the ice flow. He drifted forward until his flow crashed into the main ice again. He quickly leapt onto the ice, running again as the creatures continued to chase him. He ran forward as they pursued him, the icy air shearing his lungs. The creatures closed in on him, a gap in their ranks clearly visible directly ahead. He narrowed his eyes, aiming for the gap, sprinting ahead with determination. _

_ Suddenly, the creatures disappeared. Humphrey skidded to a halt, looking around him, but he was surrounded by the same ice-sheet covered ocean. The creatures were nowhere in sight, yet Humphrey could tell that he wasn't alone. He saw a deep red light from the edges of his vision. He turned around and saw a massive stone obstruction behind him, protruding from the ice. He walked curiously towards it, examining the object. It was like to angular rocks coiling around one another, two points jutting up into the sky. The rock was black with red markings and symbols etched into its surface. As he neared it, he could hear a multitude of voices whispering to him. _

_ He circled the massive object, studying its smooth surface. This was no natural formation; this was some kind of odd creation. The thing was massive: it was easily four times the width of a wolf and over two times the height of a Kodiak bear. Darkness swarmed around the object, Humphrey staring at it in curiosity. One of the voices rose above all of the rest, a sweet, female voice. He knew that voice, he'd heard it before._

_ "No," Humphrey wept. "No, please, no…" The darkness swarming around the object formed into the shape of a she-wolf. She padded towards him, her fur beginning to darken, her eyes turning into a deep crimson. _

_ "Why did you make me die, Humphrey?" She asked him. "Why couldn't we be together? We were whole together, Humphrey, but you killed me. You completed me, but you killed me. You killed me, Humphrey; why did you do it?"_

_ "You're not her," Humphrey growled, tears falling from his eyes. "You're not real. YOU'RE NOT KATE!" She walked up to him, her fur and flesh falling away until she became a burnt, charred corpse, her belly and neck torn open and pouring blood onto the ground._

_ "WHO AM I, HUMPHREY?" She screamed._

Humphrey opened his eyes and looked about the clearing. Kala was resting peacefully beside him, all of the other wolves of his pack sleeping around the clearing. Kacey, however, was nowhere to be found. He shrugged, not caring too much; she was a lone wolf, bound to be a drifter and wander off. Humphrey hadn't had a nightmare like that in moons; not since Sam began warning him of the humans. He knew that Sam only came when something was going wrong, when something bad was going to happen, and if that was so, then he knew that he had to figure out what it was before he was met with another catastrophe like the last time.

He slowly stood up, careful not to wake Kala. He smiled at her and then walked into the forest. He walked to the stream that fed into the pond nearby. He lapped water from the stream and walked over to the pond, wishing to have time alone with his thoughts. He padded up the ridge and looked down at the pond, but stopped, frozen in place from the sight he was beholding.

Kate was in the pond, grooming herself and washing her fur in the water. The sunlight shined through the open tree cover and illuminated her tawny fur with a beautiful radiance. Humphrey saw her shake the water from her fur and licked it back, forcing it to lie flat again. She blinked water from her eye lashes, her dark pink eyes glimmering in the sunlight. That was when Humphrey snapped back to reality; the she-wolf he had been admiring wasn't Kate; Kate had amber eyes, not dark pink.

Kacey looked up, taking notice of Humphrey's presence. She leapt back in surprise, the sunlight no longer shining on her fur, its color returning to the dark brown hue that he'd originally seen it as. Humphrey padded down towards her.

"I'm sorry," Humphrey apologized. "I didn't realize that you were down here."

"No, I should be the one that's sorry," she said, her eyes darting away in embarrassment. "I shouldn't have come here. I'll leave you be, Leader Wolf-er, I mean, Humphrey."

"No, it's alright," Humphrey replied. There was something about this she-wolf that he couldn't quite understand; it was a type of pull, like a field that forced them to get closer to one another, one that he couldn't seem to control. He was incredibly attracted to the she-wolf, yet he didn't want anything to do with her at the same time. "I was coming out for a walk anyway, I'll just be on my way and you can get back to what you were doing."

"Wait!" She said. He stopped as he began to turn away and looked back at her questioningly. "I, well, I wanted to know more about you, Humphrey. I told you about myself since I'll be staying with your pack for a while, but I'd also like to know about you-if that's alright, of course." He sat down near her, nodding. "How did you become Pack Leader?"

"Garth's father, Tony," he told her. "He raped his mate, my sister in law, Lily, and threatened to do the same to my former mate. He got into a dominance fight with Garth, and he was about to kill him. When he threatened my mate, I lost it, and I stepped in and beat him in the fight. After the Great War, Garth and Lily gave their leadership to me."

"So that was why you didn't tell Kala who you were," Kacey said. "You had to take care of the pack and couldn't have her distracting you." Humphrey glared coldly at her, and then looked away.

"That was part of it," Humphrey growled bitterly. Kacey looked at him in sympathy.

"Winston told me about your mate," Kacey said. "I'm sorry, Humphrey; you don't seem like the wolf that should have to go through something like that."

"No wolf should have to go what I went through," Humphrey snarled. "And Winston only knows half of what happened. A part of me died that day because of what I did." Kacey looked at him in concern.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked him tentatively.

"No," he growled. "I don't." With that, he stalked off, leaving Kacey behind him. She lowered her head in sadness and walked in the opposite direction.

**A/N: Short chapter, I know, but this was important foreshadowing and emotion-building for characters. The next chapter I'm sure will entice all of you with what happens, something that I can guarantee NONE of you are expecting at all! Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, The Silver Wolf, Alexander, and the dark shadow for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	14. Kacey and Kala

Kala awoke to the surprise that her father was not there. She very rarely saw him gone since he revealed who he was, but now, he was missing. Kacey as well was gone, her scent staler than Humphrey's. She guessed that her father had had to go leak or get a drink. Kacey, however, was a lone wolf and far more mysterious than any other wolf in the pack. She had no idea where the beautiful brown she-wolf would be. The rest of the pack was sleeping and Humphrey was gone, so Kala got up and padded silently to the forest.

She wanted to explore the forest around her, to go on a grand adventure for a short while. The beautiful morning sun illuminated the forest, the flora around her still wet from the morning dew. The air was cool yet slightly humid; both warming and cooling her depending on if she was in shade or in direct exposure to the sunlit areas of the forest. She liked both feelings on her fur, smiling happily as she padded through the forest. She stopped, parting her jaws to scent the air. There were many smells in the forest, flooding her senses with spectacular glory. She felt so free, so _alive_ in the forest. This, she decided, was how wolves should always live. The perfect harmony of the forest and the spectacular atmosphere presented the perfect place for a wolf and its pack to live.

Scenting the air some more, she was able to pick Humphrey's fairly recent scent trail. She smiled, eager to try and surprise him in a play fight. She followed the scent through the forest until she came across a stream. His scent was built up here, so he had most likely stopped to drink at the stream. She did as he had and drank from the cool water. The frigid liquid flowed through her, energizing Kala. Then, she noticed something she had not been able to see in a while: her reflection. She was-to her surprise-just as the other wolves had said: a beautiful young pup. The tawny fur blended perfectly with her pelt, running down her face and very lightly around the top of her eyes. Her ear tips were flecked with the tawny, he tail bearing the tawny fur as well. She looked down at her paws and noticed that they were no longer entirely white, but now bore the trace of tawny fur as well. She admired her appearance in the reflecting water for a while. She had never done so before, and now that she saw what she looked like, she had to admit that she was quite 'pretty.'

Humphrey's scent trail led towards the pond he took her to so he could reveal his true identity to her. Kala followed the scent trail and arrived at the pond, but smelled the mingled scents of Humphrey and Kacey by the water's edge. She sniffed the area, noting that some paw prints were wet. Judging by the size of the prints, she determined that they were Kacey's; she was probably grooming herself when Humphrey came along. They had sat by together; their scents were very close to each other at this point. The scents were not too old, possibly ten or fifteen minute-old scents. They had sat there for several minutes before departing in opposite directions. She wondered what the two were talking about, but decided that it probably wasn't her business. Humphrey's scent led out of the mile radius border that he'd set for her, so she diverted her course to follow Kacey instead.

Kacey's scent led back towards the clearing, but then sporadically changed directions. Kacey had apparently been wandering around the forest at this point, unable to figure out just where she wanted to go. Eventually, her scent led down a small hill underneath the clearing ledge. Kala had never been down here before, staying on the high ground with her father. Kacey's scent was lost in the foliage, so Kala decided to wander off a bit. She heard something in the trees, so she turned to investigate. She called out to the trees to see if anyone was there, but received no response. Curiously, she padded forward to see what it was. She saw something black in the foliage, the sun reflecting off of it. She realized the black thing was fur on an animal.

"Hi, Scourge!" Kala called elatedly. There was a deep growl from the trees and two green eyes appeared. The pupils were black, vertical slits. This was not Scourge, and this was not a wolf. Kala backed away fearfully, her tail tucked tightly between her hind legs. The animal followed her out. It was a dark, lithe, feline creature. Long, curved fangs filled its maw, long whiskers protruding from its small muzzle. A snake-like tail flicked back and forth, long claws unsheathing from its paws. Its ears flicked back and it bore its fangs, hissing at her.

Kala stopped, frozen in fear. Her mind screamed at her to run, but she was paralyzed with terror as the creature continued to advance upon her. The creature licked its muzzle hungrily, its eyes glaring intently at Kala. It poised in a hunter's crouch and leapt at her, a vicious snarl escaping its mouth. Suddenly, Kala felt herself slammed to the ground by an unknown force, out of the way of the feline. She looked up to see Kacey standing above her, snarling viciously at the creature. Kala picked herself up and shakily commanded her limbs to move as Kacey defended her against the creature.

It leapt at Kacey, the she-wolf dodging out of the way, rolling gracefully out of the way. The creature slammed into a tree and turned back, furiously glaring at Kacey. Then, its eyes darted back to Kala. It leapt at her again, but Kacey was quicker, grabbing Kala's scruff and throwing her back out of the way before the creature could touch her.

_"MOVE!"_ Kacey barked at her. Suddenly, the creature slammed Kacey to the ground. Kacey held the creature at bay, he hind paws batting its belly and her forepaws struggling to keep the animal's fangs and claws at bay from her face. It snarled and swiped at her, the claws and fangs a hair's breadth from Kacey's neck where her Life Blood was located. Something overcame Kala and she rammed into the creature, digging her claws into its leg. The creature snarled and batted Kala away. Kala, however, leapt back to her paws and growled defiantly at the creature.

Kacey ordered her to move again, but Kala refused to leave the she-wolf with the creature. If she did, then it would surely kill her. Kala quickly ran to its flank and bit it savagely. The creature turned its attention to Kala and yanked Kala away from its flank, grabbing her by the scruff and slamming her to the ground. Her senses began to go into a haze, unable to make sense of the world around her. Everything was blurry, a red tint filling her vision as the creature slammed her to the ground again and again.

She heard Kacey snarl viciously and attack the creature again. It let go of Kala and returned to Kacey, snarling at her and trying in vain to tear into her. Kacey's ears were down and her lips were pulled back in a feral snarl, her tail held high and claws unsheathed. Her eyes bore defiance and fury; Kala could not detect the barest trace of fear or hesitation in her eyes; she was trying to protect Kala, and she was willing to fight to the death to make sure she was safe. Kala, in turn, thought of it as her duty to help Kacey at all costs. She struggled to get herself back up, however, and stumbled about as Kacey scratched the creature's muzzle, digging her long claws into the creature's face.

The creature recoiled in pain and snarled, batting at Kacey's head. She did not seem to mind, however, and rammed into the creature, knocking it on its back. Kacey pinned it to the ground, her claws digging into its pits and shedding blood onto the ground. It snarled in agony, Kacey biting at its neck. She couldn't, however, get close enough. The creature was too big for her to get a clear bite at its throat. She looked at Kala desperately. She didn't need to say a word to know what she was asking her to do.

A force came over Kala of the likes that she had never experienced before. Her mind was taken over by an insatiable fury as she looked at the creature in fury and hatred. It had tried to kill Kala and nearly succeeded, and it had tried to kill Kacey, who was desperately trying to hold it off and save Kala's life. She did not hesitate; she did not think anything through. She ran up to the creature, Kacey swiftly knocking its head back. Time seemed to slow down, her movements slow as though they were underwater. She bore her fangs…and she bit into the creature's throat. She jerked her head and ripped out its Life Blood. The creature ceased its struggling and slumped to its side.

For a brief instant, their eyes locked; Kala's amber wolf eyes and the creatures jade green feline eyes. The luster and color had begun to fade from the creature's eyes as it looked at Kala. She growled at the creature and its eyes rolled back, the color gone from its eyes. It released one last agonizing breath and its eyes shut. Kala's legs shook and she realized that her mouth was still full of its fur and Life Blood. She spat it out and heaved, throwing up onto the ground. Kacey got off of the creature and tended to Kala.

She puked more and more, disgusted with herself and sickened by her actions and what she had wrought on the creature. She had looked into its eyes; she had sensed its passing. Now, she understood what death was. She fully understood its meaning and what it was like. This was death; this was what happened when one killed another. This was the burden that one was forced to carry when taking the life of another. She continued to puke, tears falling from her eyes as she began to sob.

Kacey rubbed her back affectionately and caringly, whispering to her softly. Kala couldn't decipher what she was saying, nor could she tell if any of it was good or not. She simply continued the throw up until she could not any longer. Her belly felt like a cavernous pit, a disgusting taste in her mouth as she cried. Kacey lifted her gently by the scuff and placed her on Kacey's back. Despite her appearance, she was quite strong to have lifted Kala on her back. She climbed up the slope and trekked towards the pond. She gently set Kala down as she continued to cry. Kacey tended to Kala's bloodied fur and softly murmured her condolences to the young pup.

"It's okay, Kala," she whispered softly. "It's okay. Shh, don't cry pup, it's alright. It's alright." Kala felt warm inside from Kacey's gentle, mothering care for her. She licked Kala's fur back and groomed her. Kala was shaking from the fear and terror of what she'd seen and done, so Kacey laid her head over Kala's small form, whispering into her ear softly. Kala whimpered more and cried, so Kacey took her muzzle in her jaws softly. This was an act of wolves to show comfort and encouragement towards another, Kala beginning to feel better from Kacey's help.

"Thank you, Kacey," Kala whispered as her crying began to subside. Kacey looked at her softly and smiled, licking her fur back, grooming her again as well as cleaning up any remaining traces of blood from her. Afterwards, Kacey tended to herself and groomed her fur briefly before returning to Kala's side.

"You did well, Kala," Kacey complimented. "Very few wolves survive an encounter with a panther, much less pups like yourself."

"I killed it," Kala spat bitterly. "I killed it."

"Don't feel sorry for it, Kala," Kacey told her gently, lying beside her. "As wolves, we have to do what is necessary to survive and protect one another. Though I would have preferred that you ran back to the clearing like I told you to, I can say that I am proud of you for seeing what you did back there. You persevered and seized the initiative to act when action was needed. You should be proud of yourself, Kala; I can guarantee that your pack would be just as proud to see what you accomplished as well."

Kala smiled weakly, he heart warming from Kacey's gentle words.

"Thank you, Kacey," Kala said, licking the she-wolf's muzzle. "You're a great friend." Kacey smiled broadly and licked Kala between her ears. She giggled, just as ticklish from Kacey's caring touch as she was by Humphrey's. She was like a big sister or a motherly figure in that moment, even more so than Lily had been. She got up and Kacey led her back to the den.

They padded out of the trees together, the rest of the wolves looking at them coldly. Lily looked relieved to see Kala back, as did all of the others, but they glared hard at Kacey when they saw the two together. Humphrey padded up to them.

"Where have you been?" He demanded. Kala's head drooped in shame; she shouldn't have left the clearing, and now she was going to get reprimanded for doing so.

"We were just talking she-wolf to she-wolf," Kacey said abruptly. Humphrey shot a look at her. "It's my fault; I came back and asked if Kala wanted to go out for a short walk. I'm the one to blame, not her." Kala looked at Kacey, shocked that she'd take the blame for her own mistake. Humphrey beckoned for Kala to come towards him. She obeyed, padding slowly up to him.

"Is that true?" He asked her. Kala nodded in response. He looked back at Kacey, his eyes burning with anger. "Let's get one thing straight her, lone wolf; you may be with my pack for the time being but you are not the mother of my daughter. She will not go with you anywhere unless I am accompanying her. If your refuse to follow that order, I'll see to it that you regret ever coming near my pack. Is that understood?" She dipped her head in acknowledgment. Humphrey stalked away, telling Kala to come back with him. Kacey laid down away from the wolves as the pack went about its regular business. She stole a glance back at Kacey and saw the she-wolf wink slyly at her. She smiled and followed her father.

**A/N: Well, that was an intense chapter if I may say so myself! Thanks to Alexander, Dawn Walker Wolf, the dark shadow, and The Silver Wolf for reviewing my last chapter! The next chapter will be just as eventful and even more unexpected than this one, I can quite assure you! However, what do you think will happen next? I'm interested to hear your thoughts and opinions on what YOU think will happen in the next chapter!**

**Also, I recently read Dawn Walker Wolf's update where he talked about how stories on this side of FF were beginning to deviate from the personalities of the actual movie characters. To an extent, I completely agree. One of the things I struggled with in my first story, Into the Darkness, was making sure that the personalities of the characters matched the movie, and with the storyline thickening in there, I was hard-pressed to find a way to keep the personalities of characters accurate to the actual movie.**

**With Wolves of the Darkness, I intend on making sure that personalities are accurate. With Kala in the story, I intended to use her as a way to reach out to Humphrey and rekindle the Omega personality that he had in the movie. This was not a decision that was affected by Dawn Walker Wolf's update; this was one of my motives of Kala's character when I was developing who she was, and the story will still play out just as I planned it from the very beginning (with the exception of Kacey's introduction to the series). Dawn Walker Wolf has also said that he's ending his FF experience (or at least that's how I took it, I may have misinterpreted his meaning) after his stories are finished. He writes some really good stuff, so make sure to check him out if you haven't; he's a really cool guy and made the character Kacey for me to use in this story (once again, thank you DWW). Well, that's all I have to say for now. Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**

**P.S. To Alexander's last review about the dream being somewhat like Balto's in the second movie, Wolf Quest, all I have to say is this: all events that may elude to other movies (which are very few if at all) are purely coincidental…mostly. ;)**

**P.S.S. Thanks to wizz713 for his review on Into the Darkness!**


	15. Night of the Spirits

Despite the conversations and attractions he had with Kacey, Humphrey was furious with the lone wolf. She had no right to be with Kala, nor did she have any right to take her from the clearing or any other wolf. What was she thinking? Kala was his daughter and he had a right to be protective of her, as did every other wolf in the pack. He had gotten to know them well and considered them all as friends, but Kacey…he didn't know about her. Kacey was a completely different she-wolf, one that he had not gotten to know well enough to fully trust her.

He sat down in the clearing as Kala padded up to him. Her fur was neatly groomed, probably Kacey's work. She had an odd scent lingering around her, something he'd never smelled before. She didn't appear to have been harmed by anything, though her eyes appeared heavy and she walked slightly stiffly. Her jaw was clenched and he noticed and excess of her rapid eye movement and swallowing. There was definitely something going on, and he was intent on finding out what it was. She sat down in front of him, Humphrey examining his daughter carefully.

"Kala," Humphrey asked softly. He wasn't angry with her; she wasn't the one at fault here, it was that damned lone wolf. "I'm not mad at you, but I need to know: did Kacey do anything to you? Did she threaten you at all? Touch you anywhere? Did she scare you?" Kala looked taken aback by his questions, looking at him incredulously.

"No, she didn't do anything to me, Dad," Kala replied with a reassuring smile. It was the same smile Kate would give him…no, he couldn't think of that. "Like she said, we just had she-wolf to she-wolf talk."

"I thought you didn't like she-wolf talk," Humphrey said suspiciously.

"Well, I don't, not really," Kala responded, her eyes darting frantically. "But I like to talk with Kacey; she's nice and likes me. I just wanted to talk with her. Please, Dad, don't throw her out of the pack!" Humphrey looked at her quizzically, but slowly nodded.

"Okay," he said. "I'll consider it. Look, I'm going out to patrol the forest with Scourge."

"Can I come with you?" Kala asked him hopefully, her tail beginning to wag.

"No," he said sternly. "I want you to stay with your Aunt Lily until I get back. You can spend some time with her, today; I know that she's been missing you for a while now."

"But Dad-!" Kala protested.

"No 'buts!'" He growled. She looked down sadly and he sighed, looking into her eyes. "Look, I'm not mad at you, Kala, I'm just a bit shook up; I was really worried about you today and I don't want to see you gone again, okay? We'll play games later if you'd like; maybe you can help me get better at Hunter and Hunted." Her eyes lit up with excitement and she rubbed his nose with her own and licked his muzzle.

"Okay, Dad!" She said, and then she bounded over to Lily. He smiled and looked at Scourge. The two nodded at each other and walked into the forest. Garth took up a position just in front of the tree line. The two padded through the forest, looking through the trees and scenting the air for any trace of predatory animals that may endanger the rest of the pack. They found nothing, but there was an odd smell; there was the smell of blood and another, unfamiliar scent.

The two investigated the scent and found the pond. The scent ended here, blood on the ground and dispersed in the water. Kala and Kacey's scents were strong here. When Humphrey saw the blood, he immediately turned around, ready to kill Kacey for hurting his daughter. Scourge, however, stopped him. He shook his head and nodded at a blood trail leading deeper into the forest. Humphrey let Scourge lead the way through the trees, the unfamiliar scent and the distinct, tangy smell of blood growing stronger.

They padded down a hill and were able to pick up four strong scents: the unfamiliar one, blood, Kacey, and Kala. Something had happened down here, and they were intent on figuring out just what that thing was. They quickened their pace and found themselves in a small break in the trees and foliage. The corpse of a massive, black, feline animal lied in a pool of its own sticky blood. There were bite and scratch marks on its flank and gashes in its pits as well as a large bite mark on its neck where the majority of the blood flowed from.

The four scents mingled strongly here. The ground bore the prints of Kacey and Kala's obviously-blood stained paws. They had all done battle here, meaning that Kacey and Kala had both lied to Humphrey when they gave the excuse of simply talking. He couldn't understand why Kala would lie to him; why would she do that? This was something incredibly important and serious; they could have been killed by the thing, yet they neglected to reveal what really happened? What did they think they could do, just play it off as something that never actually happened? Would they pass it off as an odd coincidence or a random occurrence? No, that would never work on him. Then again, he'd believed his daughter when she said they'd only partook in simple 'she-wolf talk.' He ordered Scourge to get Kacey, telling him to use any means of force necessary to bring her to the scene. He nodded and swiftly ran back into the forest.

Humphrey circled the large creature, examining it. He'd never seen a creature like this before; it was massive, over twice the size of any wolf he'd seen before. It was lean and in stupendous physical condition. The creature was female, that much he could tell for certain. Its tail was like a snake with fur on it, long and very flexible. He peeled back the creature's closed eyelids and looked at its jade-green eyes. They were pale with the death that overcame the creature, but he could tell for certain that this creature had had jade green eyes prior to its death. The pupils were vertical slits, its fangs like long, sharp claws. The claws themselves were long, curved, and deadly. This was a creature made to kill with efficient stealth and precision. After a while, Kacey came crashing through the undergrowth. She growled at Scourge as he pushed her forward again.

Humphrey glared at her with an ice cold stare. He walked around her, inspecting her fur for any traces of blood. She was incredibly good at grooming herself, for she bore no indication that she had been anywhere near the creature. The scents, however, said differently. For a moment, he felt himself becoming lost in her attractive looks, but quickly shook his head, returning to the situation at hand. He walked up to the creature and shot a glare at Kacey. She stood there unflinchingly, returning his stare with dignity. She held her pride well, something that seemed like more of an Alpha trait than that of an Omega that she had made herself out to be.

"Care to explain, lone wolf?" Humphrey growled.

"I think that the panther is dead," she replied curtly. He growled in anger and glared at her. She returned the stare once more.

"Why are the scents of you and my daughter around here?" He demanded. "If you don't tell me the truth, I'll see to it that you're torn limb from limb for putting my daughter in danger, is that understood?" Kacey nodded in confirmation and Humphrey said, "Talk."

"I left the pond and was wandering around," she replied. "I walked around a bit and I heard Kala down here. I came down to see what she was doing down here alone and saw the panther ready to attack her. I defended her and attacked the panther, Kala helping me out against my orders for her to run back to the clearing with everyone else. She accomplished the feat of killing it; I had it pinned and she tore out its Life Blood. As you can see," she said, pointing to the drying puke on the ground nearby. "She wasn't particularly fond of killing it and understanding what death really was. I took her to the pond and cleaned her off. I told her that what she did was quite amazing and something to be proud of. I've never seen anything quite like what she did from any older wolves, much less from a young pup like herself."

Scourge glared at her in disbelief, Humphrey considering what she'd said. He was skeptical, unable to full believe what she'd said. How could he? After all, she was a lone wolf and not to be fully trusted. Yet everything she'd said seemed to be the truth; everything that they'd seen appeared to match her story perfectly, and it would make sense that she and Kala didn't want to inform anyone of what happened. Humphrey looked about and then dismissed Scourge. He nodded, leaving Kacey and Humphrey alone with the dead panther.

Kacey sat uncomfortably, shuffling her paws in nervousness. The sun reflected off of her fur, creating the illusion that she had tawny fur once again. For a brief instant, he thought he was standing in front of Kate, but he knew that that was not so. He looked at Kacey and beckoned to her to follow him. She looked at him, surprised, but followed him nevertheless. They padded up the hill slowly together, taking a walk through the forest.

"I guess I should apologize for my irrational behavior back there," Humphrey said sincerely. "I guess I'm still a bit protective of Kala at the moment."

"That's understandable," she replied. "I don't blame you; if the roles were reversed, I would have responded just as you did. You're not at fault, sir." This was her chance to finally talk to him openly, to gain his trust and get closer to him. Her lustful desire for him was strong, stronger than she could have ever anticipated the unexpected feeling that overcame her. She didn't, however, allow Humphrey to see, and he took no notice of it, either.

"So, you say that Kala killed the panther?" Humphrey asked.

"Yeah, she did," Kacey said with a smile. "You have quite the fighter of a pup."

"I always thought she might be one; I always felt her kicking when she was in her mother's womb. She was definitely a fighter, and after what we've been through, you can say that she's quite the survivor as well." He appeared to become sad when he mentioned his mate, Kacey looking at him sympathetically. She saw it as an opportunity to break through his rough exterior and reach the heart of the wolf within, and if she could find out what plagued him so, then perhaps…perhaps they could become friends or something greater.

"I know you didn't really want to talk about it earlier," she said carefully, choosing her words with discretion and care. "But I can see that it's bothering you, sir, and I really do think that if you talk about it, then maybe you can start to feel better, and I swear to Fenrir that I won't tell a single living soul. Humphrey, what happened to your mate?" He stopped abruptly, looking down at the ground. His eyes watered as they looked down, Kacey studying him inquisitively. She sat down and waited to see his response, wondering if he'd agree to reveal that information with her or if he would remain stubborn and refuse to talk about it.

He took a shaky breath and looked back at her, his eyes filled with hurt and agony. It tore at her heart to see him like that; whatever happened must have been horrible to affect him like this. What could have happened that night? He sat down shakily, his breathing ragged as he recounted the events of that fateful night.

_Humphrey carefully laid Kate on her back at the top of a soot covered ridge. Eve's instructions on how to help Kate give birth ran through his mind in a frantic jumble or words, phrases, and vague memories that somehow managed to make sense to him. Kate was breathing heavily, sweat falling from her fur. She panted terribly, her tongue lolling out, saliva dripping to the ground. Humphrey examined her womb and the opening where the pups would come out and gasped._

_ In her lower region, a shard of scorched metal was lodged into Kate. Blood fell from the wound and coated her fur with the thick, sticky liquid. Humphrey's heart stopped for a moment as he looked at Kate. She followed his gaze and looked at her injured form in sorrow and despair._

_ "I'm sorry, Humphrey," she whimpered. "I thought it wouldn't matter and that the pups wouldn't come yet. I-"_

_ "Kate, why didn't you tell me about this?" Humphrey asked, his heart heavy. This shard meant that she wouldn't be able to give birth as it blocked the entrance for the pups. They were all dead now._

_ "I didn't want to hurt you," she said, crying. "Humphrey, you-you can't let these pups die. I can't let these pups die. Humphrey, you h-have to c-cut them out." Humphrey stared at Kate agape in terrified shock._

_ "Kate, I can't do that," Humphrey said, pleading for her to not make him do it._

_ "Please, Humphrey!" She begged. "I can't lose them!" Her eyes, those eyes…he couldn't say no, yet he couldn't follow through. His mind bent with the strain and indignation of what to do in this terrible situation. He whimpered, knowing full well the outcome of what would happen if he did what she wanted. He placed a paw on her belly, feeling the feeble kick of the young pup inside. That kick…that pup wanted life. It wanted so desperately to have a fighting chance at living. Humphrey unsheathed his claws._

_ "I'm sorry, Kate," he wept. "Please, forgive me!" With that, he dug his claws into her belly and tore a jagged line down to her opening. She let loose a terrible, haunting scream of agony. He followed through, her scream ripping his heart to pieces. He pulled her belly part, exposing the pulsating womb. He dug a claw inside and burst it open, left over water flying outward and mixing with the outpouring blood flow._

_ He quickly grabbed the small pups from inside. There were four, all of them encased in a type of clear seal. He did as Eve instructed and snapped off the seal. The first pup, a young grey male, was covered in blood. He licked its fur the opposite way to warm it and then quickly began to press lightly on its chest but to no effect. It had no heartbeat. The pup was dead. His eyes brimming with tears, he moved on to the next pup, a young tawny and white-furred she-wolf. Just like the first, it did not wake._

_ The third was dead as well, a young tawny male. Finally, he bit open the last seal. This pup kicked out its paws feebly. He pressed down slightly more forcefully on this pup's chest and it coughed of a sickly clot of blood onto the soot covered ground. It was a young grey she-pup, just as Kate had predicted. He licked her fur the opposite way, keeping her warm. She mewled for milk and the warmth of her mother. When Humphrey had licked the blood from the pup, he carried it over to Kate's ragged, hardly breathing form. He presented the pup to her, Kate's amber eyes glowing when she saw the young pup._

_ "She's our one and only little fighter," Humphrey said proudly._

_ "I knew she'd look like you, Humph," Kate said, laughing weakly. He joined in, enjoying the happy moment with her. Blood continued to pour out of her wound and he knew that she didn't have long._

_ "Kate, I have to find moss and reeds to keep you awake," Humphrey informed her. He looked out over the burning wasteland. "I'm sure they're around here somewhere."_

_ "Humphrey," Kate whispered. He looked back at her._

_ "Yes, Kate?" He asked._

_ "I'm not making it out of here, Humph," she croaked. "We both know how this is going to end for us."_

_ "NO!" Humphrey snarled defiantly. "I'm getting you out of here!"_

_ "Humphrey, please," she pleaded, a tear falling from her eye. "I love you so much, Humphrey. Please, take care of our pup."_

_ "No, Kate!" Humphrey said, crying. "We're going to be parents, Kate! Do you hear me? We're going to be a mom and dad! We have a pup now! We can get out of here and have the life we always dreamed of!"_

_ "That's all it was, Humph," she said weakly, flashing him a small smile. "Just a dream."_

_ "I am not leaving you here!" He sobbed. She closed her eyes and opened them again, their usual luster and brightness gone. She looked at the pup and licked her._

_ "Take care of your father, pup," she whispered. "Make the both of us proud."_

_ Humphrey looked down at his mate in sadness, his tears blurring his vision. He sobbed as he looked down at the body of his mate, he bloodied, torn form. He'd killed her; it was all his fault. Now, she expected him to do what had to be done. She expected him to take away her pain and suffering, and to protect and care for their pup in a horrible life without her._

_ He remembered what Winston said to him when Kate was sick after their mating, when she was just learning of her pregnancy._

"Humphrey, you're going to be faced with many decisions in the future. Not all of them will be easy, but you have to trust in yourself that you'll make the right decision. You're not an Omega any more. You're a grown wolf and the mate of my daughter. Whatever the decision is, you must protect Kate with your life. Do you understand?"

"Fully, sir," he replied, looking seriously into Winston's eyes. "She's my everything. I'm not going to let anything happen to her."

"If anything happens to her, to me, Eve, Lily, Garth, or any other wolf in the pack, I need you to make the ultimatum. You have to make the choices that will decide what happens in the future. You walk a difficult path, Humphrey. Every wolf does, but with your responsibilities now tied to the whole of the pack as much as it is to those you care for, you have to make decisions that won't always be easy. When you have to, I hope that you'll make the right choice."

"I will, father," Humphrey replied.

_ Humphrey cried, his tears soaking into Kate's fur. She stared ahead blankly, her heart beginning to slow, her breathing becoming more agonized. Blood dripped from her mouth, tears falling down her face. He remembered what Garth told him when they returned to the Pack Den from the highlands._

"Before I met Lily, there was another she-wolf that I cared about in my pack," Garth said solemnly. "Her name was Teresa, and I was originally going to ask her to be my mate. There was an incident, though; a human hunter shot her and she was bleeding out in the forest. I killed the human and rushed to her aide, wanting to help her in any way that I could. She was in so much pain, and there was so much blood…I had to do what was right, Humphrey. I made the most difficult choice of my life on that day, and I tore the pain away from her. It killed me to do it, but I had to take away her pain. I killed Teresa, and ever since there's been a bit of a void in me. When I met Lily, I swore to her I'd never let anything happen to her. I've heard you say the same for Kate and your soon-to-be-born pups."

"Why are you telling me this?" Humphrey questioned.

"Because you need to be prepared for everything and anything, Humphrey," Garth growled. "If anyone, be it friend, foe, or family is in pain or suffers from the eventuality worse than death, you have to be prepared to kill them. Lily and I are prepared to do so for each other, despite the pain it will ensue on us both. I would expect that if I was in pain and beyond any possible help, that you'd kill me. Do you understand?"

"I'm not going to let anymore wolves die," Humphrey replied firmly.

_ He placed a paw on her lightly rising flank. He closed his eyes, unable to look at her. Tears streamed down his face and into his fur. He sobbed, choking on his own tears or pain and resentment. He remembered their first howl aboard the train._

"Humphrey?" Kate asked. He turned back to look at her, a large grin on his face. She tilted her head, puzzled. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, sorry," he said sheepishly. "It's just the moon, the moment, you know, I just thought-" she smiled at him in that you're-a-crazy-omega way. He sighed and looked into her eyes. "Oh, come on, Kate! Please, howl at the moon with me!"

_ He looked down at her one last time. He took the young pup back and placed her next to him. He had to get the pup to a she-wolf that could care for her, to give her milk. If she didn't, then she'd surely die within the hour._

_ His mate, his best friend, his one bright, shining star in the universe of darkness and despair was lying down in front of him. He had to make the ultimatum: he had to take her pain away from her. He couldn't let her suffer anymore. He buried his face in her neck fur and sobbed._

_ "I'm so, so sorry, Kate," he cried. "I love you."_

_ "I love you too, Humphrey," Kate breathed. She closed her eyes and he bore his fangs, tears streaming down his face. Like all animals, a wolf's Life Blood could be torn from the neck, killing the animal swiftly and quickly…she would feel nothing at all, no pain. She would just slip away into the void… He spotted the soft part of her neck and sobbed. "I'M SORRY, KATE!" He screamed. Then he lashed out at her, taking her pain away forever._

Tears fell from Kacey's eyes as she heard his story. Humphrey felt as though a weight had been lifted from his chest, but his heart was still clenched in agony from the pain he still felt from that night. Kacey looked at him, her eyes red with tears. She walked up to him and nuzzled him affectionately. She embraced him tightly.

"I'm so, so sorry, Humphrey," she told him, crying. "I'm so sorry." Humphrey pulled away from her, looking away.

"It can't be helped," he replied. "Not now. Not ever. I'll, ah, I'll be leaving."

"Wait, Humphrey-!" She said.

"Thanks for the talk," he replied. With that, he ran back into the forest, Kacey watching him as he left.

**Kala**

Throughout the day, Kala felt as though Lily was trying to torture her. Of course, she wasn't doing so intentionally; she was simply taking notes on what she had heard Kacey and Kala say. Lily was trying to talk to Kala about she-wolf things. Kala forced herself to act as though she was interested, but her mind was straining from doing so. She wanted to bang her head on a tree until she fell unconscious. She-wolf talk was horrible!

All that Lily did was talk with Kala about males and what 'fun' things she would do with Garth. In that sense, it was all love things. She felt disgusted by the endless hours of talking with her aunt. In comparison, she'd rather kill another panther because this simply despised the talk with Lily. It was horrible!

When the sun had set and Humphrey came back, carrying a few rabbits. She was relieved to see him and padded up to him, the two of them taking a rabbit. He tossed one over to Kacey and walked away from her. Kala was surprised to see that he didn't want to eat with her again, but decided to join her father him dinner.

Kacey finished her rabbit and began to walk towards them, but looked at Humphrey and hesitated. Humphrey refused to look at her and Kacey turned away sadly, lying down away from everyone else. Kala looked between the two; something had certainly happened between the two, and Kala doubted that she would be informed as to what that was. She padded over to Kacey and prodded her with her paw. Kacey looked at her.

"What is it?" Kacey asked, sniffing.

"Are you okay, Kacey?" She asked, concerned. "You seem sad."

"I'm fine, Kala," she replied. "I'm just having problems with that wolf I told you about; the one that I like." Kala looked at her interest, tilting her head at her. She wondered why Humphrey would be part of it, then, she suddenly understood what she meant: the wolf that Kacey liked was her own father. She liked Humphrey! She was surprised and shocked that she was attracted to her father, and-in a way-protective of her father. She liked Kacey, but she wasn't sure if she liked her enough to want her to be Kala's mother. Before she could say anything, however, Winston howled.

The wolves looked up in the sky at something, the old wolf howling at the skies. Kala looked up and was startled to see a spectacular sight. Colorful bands of light flew through the mountains like rivers in the sky. Kala was mesmerized by the glory and splendor of the bands. The other wolves began to howl to the lights as well, singing a mournful song to the lights. Their howls mingled into one voice that said "Oh, spirits of our friends and family, ancestors and children, speak to us! We are waiting to speak, and we will sing to you tonight!"

She realized what the lights were: they were the Lights of the Traveling Spirits where the souls of wolves long past wound through the night skies in rivers of color and spoke to the friends and family that they left behind. Humphrey looked frantically at the lights; Kala knew that he was searching for Kate. Lights swirled around the wolves and suddenly, they all disappeared, Kala left alone in the clearing. She looked around and searched for a trace of someone, but could find none. Suddenly, lights flew from the sky and formed into the shape of a beautiful, tawny she-wolf; the same one that Kala had seen before. The she-wolf smiled warmly at Kala and nuzzled her.

"Hello, my daughter," she greeted. Kala gasped in shock; the she-wolf was Kate!? Kate giggled at her reaction and sat down in front of her. "Well, didn't you listen to my description when you asked just about every wolf in the pack about me?

"I-I-I, j-just didn't, I mean, I-I didn't know that, I didn't…" Kate laughed and licked her affectionately.

"You're quite the beautiful pup, Kala," she complimented her. "I know you'll grow up to be a great she-wolf in the future."

"Thank you!" Kala breathed, looking at her mother. She smiled at her kindly.

"I saw your accomplishment against the panther today," she said. "You were very brave; you have the aspects of an Alpha within you; that, I assume, is from me. You do, however, have a lot of your father's Omega personality in you, too, though he seems to have grown far more serious than he was when I first met him. Maybe you can change that, though; I'd like to see your father back to his fun-loving personality again."

"We play a lot of games together," she said. Kate laughed, her angelic voice making Kala grin ruefully.

"I know; I'm always watching over you two," she informed Kala. "Though you certainly have to work on his Hunter and Hunted skills; I couldn't teach him well enough, but maybe that's another thing you can do."

"Yeah, that's my favorite game!" Kala exclaimed. "I really have to help him out with that!"

"Yes, that you do," she said. Then, she looked about worriedly. "Kala, I have a message for you and I don't have a lot of time left to talk to you."

"But I want to keep talking to you!" Kala wailed piteously. "I miss you, Mom!"

"I miss you, too, Kala," Kate said gently, nuzzling her flank. "More than you can ever know, but you must hear my message. You will be met with many difficulties in the path ahead, and you must be prepared to deal with the conclusions of your actions when you do so. You hold a great destiny in your paws and only you can shape how that destiny turns out. You have the power to fulfill your destiny or to destroy it and make it something else, but no matter what, you must listen to your heart and let it guide your actions. You are a great she-wolf, Kala, and I can't wait to see you grow up with your father."

"Thank you, Mom," Kala breathed, smiling at her, a tear falling from her eye.

"Also, tell your father that he must cease to dwell on the past and look to the present and future," she said. "I care about the happiness of you two, and in my absence, one must take my position, one that I purposely sent in your direction to do so. I want you two to be happy and cared for, and I want you to know that whatever happens, I will always love you two. Goodbye, my daughter, we will meet again soon…"

She flashed back to reality, the rest of the wolves around her doing the same. Most of them had large grins on their faces and tears falling from their eyes. She walked to Humphrey, looking up at him. She smiled at him, tears soaking her fur. Kala followed his gaze into the sky, tears falling from his eyes as well as he watched the lights fade from the sky.

"I didn't see her," Humphrey whispered, crying. "I didn't see anyone. She didn't come to me…she didn't come to me."

**A/N: Well, there you have it, a nice long chapter for all of you guys and girls! Thanks for reading! Bet you weren't expecting this! If you were…then damn, you must be psychic! Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, the dark shadow, imjustlikehumphrey, and Alexander for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	16. Night of Fear

Kala was bursting with joy and excitement. She had seen her mother; she had actually _talked_ with her mother! It was difficult for her to contain all of the emotions running through her at that moment, but she knew that she was incredibly privileged and overjoyed to know that she had actually been able to talk with Kate. The other wolves were similarly happy, large grins on their faces when Kala told them about who she had talked to. The other wolves had all begun to discuss who they had talked to as well, excitement, sadness, and happiness swirling around them all at once.

Lily and Winston had both seen Eve, Winston's mate and Lily's mother. Garth had seen his mother and siblings, but he also said he'd talked to someone else, but wouldn't give the name. Salty had talked with his friends Shakey and Mooch, Sweets with her friends Candy, Reeba, and Janice. Scourge had talked with his brother, the only wolf that truly accepted him in his former pack before he was killed from a deadly disease. The four other wolves also talked to friends and family. Even Kacey had talked with her family. She was crying with happiness, for they had apologized for neglecting her and told her that they loved her, both of which they had never said to her before. Firetail had seen his biological parents and-for once-seemed happy. He wouldn't, however, tell anyone what he'd talked to them about. Kala had barely been listening to Humphrey after they all talked with the spirits; she'd only seen him crying. She bounded towards, excitedly telling him that she'd seen Kate. He lowered his head, gritting his teeth as more tears began to fall.

He said nothing to her, simply walked away sadly into the forest. That was when she remembered what he'd said: Humphrey had not seen a single wolf. Not a friend, foe, family member, or the love of his life. He hadn't even seen a wolf or other spirit that he didn't know. He had howled along with the pack, he had watched the skies desperately for a sign; he had so desperately wanted to talk with Kate…but no one came to him. The spirits neglected him with a cruel anger; despite how good of a wolf her father was, despite how much he'd done for the pack, how much he'd sacrificed, the spirits cast him away.

Kacey looked out after Humphrey as he padded depressingly into the forest. She began to pad after him, but Kala stood in her way, shaking her head. Her father needed to be alone, and she wasn't going to let any wolf get in the way of that, even a friend like Kacey.

The revelation that Kacey liked her father was not something that Kala was quite willing to take in as of yet. She was an amazing friend and was great to play and talk with, but Kala wasn't quite sure that she was ready for a new mother. She had just met her real mother and now Kacey was stepping in to take her place. Kate had said-vaguely-that she had sent Kacey to take her place, but Kala and Humphrey both did not wish for her to do that. Not yet, not now; it was too soon, and Humphrey was still trying to heal his wounded heart, his emotional scars festering like the Mad Wolf disease, coursing through his veins and polluting his mind. Humphrey needed to be alone right now, and she was intent on allowing him to do just that. Kacey looked down and nodded, padding away. Kala waited by the tree line for Humphrey to return; she waited, and waited, and waited, but he would not show up. It was over an hour before she heard the long, mournful howl from the mountain face ahead. She saw Humphrey on top of the mountain, howling his sadness into the skies.

The pack watched him, some shedding tears of sympathy for the poor, lonely wolf, others murmuring their condolences to him. The spirits were cruel to not talk with him, and Kala had only worsened it by informing him that she'd talked to Kate, but she refused to talk to him. She darted into the forest, the rest of the pack not noticing her departure. She ran to the mountain, following the sound of his howl. She clambered up the mountain and slowed her pace, carefully climbing upward. She reached the peak of the low mountain. The wind buffeted her fur and chilled her, but she did not let it faze her. Humphrey needed comfort right now, and she knew that she was the best one to do so.

She sat beside her father, seemingly unnoticed by him. She watched him sadly, her eyes watering as she listened to the mournful howl. She joined her voice with his and howled with her father. He briefly stopped, looking down at her. Then, he gave a small, sad, weak smile and began to howl with her as well. Their voices conjoined, echoing and reverberating through the vast mountain range and forests below in perfect, harmonic unison.

_**I close both locks below the window**_

_**I close both blinds and turn away**_

_**Sometimes solutions aren't so simple**_

_**Sometimes good bye's the only way**_

_**And the sun will set for you**_

_**The sun will set for you**_

_**And the shadow of the day**_

_**Will embrace the world in grey**_

_**And the sun will set for you**_

_**In cards and flowers on your window**_

_**Your friends all plead for you to stay**_

_**Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple**_

_**Sometimes good bye's the only way**_

_**And the sun will set for you**_

_**The sun will set for you**_

_**And the shadow of the day**_

_**Will embrace the world in grey**_

_**And the sun will set for you**_

_**And the shadow of the day!**_

_**Will embrace the world in grey!**_

_**And the sun will set for you!**_

_**And the shadow of the day!**_

_**Will embrace the world in grey!**_

_**And the sun will set for you…**_

They ended their mournful song their voices falling out together. Humphrey looked down at his daughter, Kala looking back up at him.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Kala said, tears falling from her eyes. "I shouldn't have told you, I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"It's alright, Kala," Humphrey told her softly. "It's not your fault. I'm glad that you had a chance to talk to your mother. I'm sure that you two had a lot of catching up to do, after all." She smiled weakly and nodded. She pointed to the odd thing on his leg.

"What is that thing you're wearing?" Kala inquired. Humphrey looked down and laughed. He showed it to Kala and explained its origins.

"Your mother made this for me, for me to always remember her. The petals were from her favorite flower, and she sealed them to the bracelet with sap so that they would never be altered by the ravages of time. I don't know why there're three petals, but ever since you were born, I felt that they symbolize our family: you, me, and your mother." Kala smiled and then got an idea. She circled around and caught her tail. Humphrey looked at her questioningly as she tugged out several long strands of her fur from her tail.

She then took Humphrey's paw and slid the bracelet from his leg. She intertwined her fur within the bracelet, her silver hairs wrapping and coiling around it, the bracelet beginning to shine in the brilliant moonlight. She fit the bracelet back on his leg and smiled at him.

"There," she said sweetly. "Now you can always remember me, too." Humphrey smiled at her. They wordlessly nuzzled each other affectionately, and Humphrey led his daughter back to the clearing. The wolves were waiting for them when they arrived, Humphrey and Kala not returning their stares. They simply curled up together, father and daughter. She whispered something into his ear. "Mom said that she wanted us to be happy, and that she loved us both. She told us not to mourn her too much, and that we should live life to its fullest. She sent someone to make us happy, to make us a family."

"Who?" Humphrey asked her, interested in what Kate had told her.

"You'll see," She replied slyly, giggling. "You'll see."

**Humphrey**

_ Humphrey opened his eyes and found himself on top of the mountain again. Across from him sat Sam, staring at him intently through his crimson eyes. Humphrey sighed, walking towards him._

Hello, Young Grey,_ Sam greeted. _Once again, you do not seem very happy to see me.

_ "I wasn't exactly hoping to see my Spirit Guide tonight," Humphrey muttered sullenly, his eyes looking away. "Sorry to disappoint you."_

You mean like how your daughter disappointed you?_ Sam inquired._

_ "What are you talking about?" Humphrey growled._

She saw Kate; you did not. Is that not a disappointment?_ Humphrey looked at him, but then nodded, admitting that he was disappointed. How couldn't he be? He had so desperately wanted so see Kate again, but fate decided to have her visit Kala rather than him. He wasn't mad at either of them; he understood that the two would want to talk, yet Lily and Winston had both talked to Eve, so why could Humphrey talk to Kate? It didn't make sense, it wasn't fair!_

Life is not always fair, Young Grey, _Sam said. Humphrey growled._

_ "Is there ever going to be a time when you're not reading my thoughts?" _

Probably not, _Sam replied smugly. _Tell me, how did you take to Kala's message?

_ "I'm not quite sure of what to make of it," Humphrey replied. "She said Kate sent someone to us but I don't know what she meant."_

Is it not clear?_ Sam asked. _She sent a wolf to make you a family. I am quite surprised that you didn't understand it fully when she told you of it. It is quite obvious, really.

_ "Then what is it?" Humphrey demanded, annoyed. "Why don't you ever just come out and say something clearly?"_

Where's the fun in that?_ Sam asked him. _It's not my place to inform you of everything; sometimes, destiny must take its course. However, there is one thing I can tell you right now.

_ "What's that?"_

If you don't wake up right now, then your daughter will die.

Kala

Kala opened her eyes, hearing something snap in the forest. She looked about at the sleeping wolves; they had not noticed it. She looked back into the forest, peering into its shadowy, ominous depths. She saw nothing and dismissed the noise. She laid her head back in her paws and closed her eyes. As soon as she did so, she heard another snap from the forest. She looked back and saw something flash in the pale moonlight.

Curious, she got up and padded to the forest. She did not see anything else, nor did she hear anything. However, she could scent something in the darkness, something she'd never smelled before. She padded into the forest, scenting the air. The mysterious smell was close by, reeking of an odd scent. It was odd; it was a distinct smell, yet it did not smell like anything at all. How could that be? She rounded the tree she saw the thing dart behind, but saw nothing. She looked around the forest, seeing nothing. She shrugged and padded back tiredly towards her father. She laid down again, but heard another loud snap in the forest. Humphrey stiffened in his sleep and whimpered slightly. He must be having nightmares, Kala thought. She licked his face and nuzzled his flank, calming him down as he did to her whenever she was having a restless nightmare.

Again, there was the snap. She whirled around and saw a large shadow in the trees that was not there before. Her heart stopped beating for a moment, her blood running cold. She scented the air, the smell very, very close. She padded cautiously forward, inspecting what the shadow was. It did not move, and she assumed it was just an illusion caused by the moonlight. Suddenly, it lumbered forward, the moonlight shining on its pale, furless body. It was a massive, hideous creature. Massive claws jutted from its paws, a long, snake-like tail dragging loosely behind it. The head was massive and rounded, opening its mouth to reveal a maw of long, sharp fangs. To slits were located where its nose would be on the creature's flat face. Two long, large ears jutted from its head. She looked at its face and noticed the most disturbing and terrifying part of the creature: it did not have eyes, just slight indentations where they should be.

She was paralyzed, dumbstruck with fear. One thought, however, ran through her mind. One thought, one action came to mind. It was not even a thought, really; it was a demand, a scream, from her mother, her Spirit Guide. _"RUN!"_

**Humphrey**

His eyes jolted open when he heard Kala's frantic, desperate screaming. The wolves all jumped to their paws, and Humphrey saw the most horrifying, heart-stopping sight he'd ever had the misfortune of looking upon: Kala was hanging by the scuff in the deadly jaws of a Longfang.

"Dad, HELP ME!" She screamed. The Longfang dashed into the forest, carrying her away.

_"KALA!"_ Humphrey cried, running headlong after her. Scourge, Garth, Salty, and Kacey bolted after him. Humphrey relentlessly pursued the Longfang through the forest, Kala screaming the whole way. The Longfang bowled over trees and the undergrowth, trampling the ground in front of it. He wasn't going to let the beast take away his daughter; he couldn't lose her, not like he'd lost Kate! He was all that Humphrey had left; he couldn't let the thing take her away from him!

The wolves ran after the Longfang, snarling and howling at the Longfang, Kala desperately crying for help. The Longfang leapt over a gorge, one that was far too long for any wolf to leap over. Still, against the protests of the others, Humphrey jumped after it. He crashed on the other side, digging his claws into the earth as he began to slip into the gorge. He pulled himself upward and ran after the Longfang.

He ran up a ridge and caught up to it. He leapt off the ridge, attacking it. He sank his claws into its rough hide, not affecting the creature at all. It dropped Kala and lashed out at Humphrey batting him away with one of his paws. Kala screamed, but the Longfang threw her into a pit. She crashed into a large pile of bones, looking around frantically for a place to escape from. The Longfang leapt in with her and lumbered forward. She ran around the perimeter of the pit, trying to escape the Longfang's reach.

Humphrey sprinted up to the Longfang and latched to its back, sinking his fangs into its neck. It roared and bucked its legs, trying to shake him off. He held fast, allowing Kala to get away to the other side of the pit. She tried to climb over the top, but slipped and fell into the bone pile again. The Longfang grabbed Humphrey's leg, sinking its fangs into him. He cried out in pain and it threw him against the side of the pit. His leg bled profusely. He looked at it frantically, as the Longfang went for Kala again. She scrambled to the side of the pit, but could not climb out. She turned around, pressing her back to the pit wall as the Longfang closed in on her. It growled at her, but Humphrey forced himself to stand in its path. It roared and batted at him, but Humphrey had already grabbed Kala's scruff and rolled away, taking her with him.

He told her to run, and she complied, bolting around for a place to escape from. The Longfang's attention was now focused on Humphrey. He snarled ferociously at the Longfang, the creature rearing back on its hind legs, releasing a blood-curdling screech at him. Humphrey thought hard, trying to figure out a way to kill it. Attacks on its hide proved useless; it was too thick, and all it did was piss the creature off. What could he do?

_I already showed you how to kill them, _Sam whispered. _Don't you remember the Dire Wolves? _Humphrey's mind flashed back to the vision Sam had created for him out of boredom; the Longfang's belly was vulnerable. That was how he could kill it!

He rolled underneath it as it slammed to the ground, trying to flatten him. Humphrey saw its fleshy, pink, exposed belly, and he sank all of his claws into it, tearing at its soft surface. It tore effortlessly, like a wet leaf. Blood splashed onto him, the Longfang screaming in agony. Humphrey kept tearing and forced himself upward, into the Longfang's body. It was dark inside, hot blood flowing around him. He held his breath and searched about, ripping at organs as he tore in. He felt the Longfang fall to the ground, and found the source of its life: its beating, ever pulsing heart. He sank his claws and fangs into it…and he tore it in half.

**Kala**

She rushed to the Longfang, searching for Humphrey. He was badly wounded, bleeding heavily from the wound on his leg. The Longfang screamed into the night, its howl echoing through the mountains. Blood poured like a waterfall from its belly, and Humphrey was nowhere to be found. She feared for the worst, he heart lurching.

_No,_ she pleaded. _No, I just got you back; don't leave me again, Dad!_ Suddenly, a paw flew through the chest of the Longfang. Another punched through, and they pulled the chest apart, blood falling out as Humphrey pulled himself out of the Longfang. He was drenched from tail to nose in a thick layer of crimson blood. He spat out the disgusting liquid and threw up on to the ground. He heaved, breathing heavily.

Kala broke out into a desperate sob and ran to him. She didn't care that he was covered in blood, she embraced him tightly, crying heavily. She almost died, but he had saved her life. He held her, whispering into her ear.

"It's okay, pup," he told her quietly. "I'm here, Kala; I'm here."

**A/N: There you have it, a VERY intense and eventful chapter! The song used was "Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park. Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, Dawn Walker Wolf, the dark shadow, Alexander, and The Silver Wolf for reviewing my last chapter! Well, not much to say for now, so…until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	17. The Adventure Begins

**Go on Youtube and look up "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Soundtrack – Over Hill" and keep that paused until I tell you to play it. Enjoy the chapter!**

"Humphrey, if you don't keep off of your leg, then you're going to get it bleeding again," Lily told him, exasperated. It was three days since the Longfang had attacked the wolves. Ever since that night, patrols were tightened, hunting parties always consisting of three wolves while the rest stayed to defend the clearing if anything came near. Luckily, the Longfang seemed to be the only one in this part of the forest. They assumed that the panther's corpse was the origin of its appearance; that much meat and blood would not go unnoticed in the wild, and a Longfang was certainly apt to go for an easy kill.

Humphrey and Kala had trekked wearily back around the gorge, wading through a river north and circling back to the clearing. It took them until the afternoon of the next day to reach their destination, the rest of the pack relieved to see the wolves return. Kala and Humphrey had done their best to wash the Longfang's blood from their fur, but the putrid scent still lingered. They washed, over-washed, and washed some more to rid themselves of the foul odor of the Longfang, but it seemed as though it was now going to remain permanently part of their scents.

Kala had done her best to do what Lily had done for her and wrap cobwebs around Humphrey's wound, but blood still trickled down his leg the entire way back. Luckily, Lily had been taught by her mother how to tend to injuries and was able to properly assess the situation at paw. The Longfang had bitten right through his leg, but no bones had been injured; the fang had punched through a gap in his bone structure, tearing through muscle fibers and flesh, nothing more. He was fortunate that it had only succeeded in doing that, for it the Longfang had bit down any harder Humphrey could have very well lost his leg back right leg entirely.

The two were immediately met by Kacey upon their return, her concern for the two quite apparent. Humphrey looked uncomfortable to be embraced by the lone wolf, but Kala welcomed the kindly act wholeheartedly. She knew that Kacey had run after her that night, and she had even risked her life to save her from the panther; she accepted Kacey and over the three days since the attack, the two had grown very close to one another. Humphrey was slightly jealous by the amount of time Kala was spending with the lone wolf, but tried his best to not pay her any mind.

Upon their arrival to the clearing, Humphrey had been plotting their next course of action. It had become quite apparent that the forest was not safe for the wolves, and it was his duty to protect the wolves of his pack at all costs. Lily, however, was getting in the way of his discussing their plans, insisting that he rest and allow his leg to heal. Humphrey, however, was not in the mood to sit around and wait; he had to get up and do something or he'd be driven mad. This led to his actions of walking about the clearing, Lily following him closely, trying to convince him to take some time off of his leg and let it rest. Unfortunately for her, Kate's stubborn personality had rubbed off on him and he had adopted the will to resist Lily's urging, walking about nevertheless, trying to build up strength and muscle in his leg again so he'd be ready to travel when the time came to do so.

All of the wolves were in the clearing, many of them conversing with one another, the rest keeping watch over the forest. Humphrey limped over to Scourge and told him to assemble Lily, Garth, Winston, Salty, and Kacey. He nodded and went off to do his bidding while Humphrey limped over to the far side of the clearing. He sat down carefully, his leg bent in an awkward position as to keep it from being injured by the simple act of sitting down. Scourge was able to get the wolves he wanted fairly quickly, all of them assembling in front of him within moments.

"Alright, we can't stay here, not anymore; it's not safe in these mountains," Humphrey told them quietly. They all nodded in agreement; the last thing any of them wanted was for any wolf to be killed or seriously injured by panther, Longfang, or some other predator in that they weren't aware of. "We need to get out of here as quickly as possible, so that rules out the north; that'll just take us deeper into the mountains, and we can't go south because there's nothing else back there for us."

"East will just lead to a large human settlement," Scourge said. "Beyond the mountains there's nothing but humans, humans, and more of those goddamn humans."

"So we go west," Kacey spoke up. The wolves looked at her skeptically, so she began to explain her reasoning with them. "We're not too far from the ocean; if we go west, we can reach it within a day's walk or two. If we stick to the mountains and avoid the forests entirely, we can bypass Longfangs, panthers, desperate bears, the D'Tyoni and the Night Watchers entirely."

"What are D'Tyoni and Night Watchers?" Humphrey asked her. The names didn't sound familiar, nor did they sound particularly friendly.

"The D'Tyoni are a race of gigantic scorpions," she replied. "It isn't uncommon for them to eat bears or moose whole, and they're incredibly deadly and versatile. The Night Watchers are bipedal creatures that only come out at night or in the darkest parts of the forest. They'll eat anything that's living, even resorting to cannibalism if need be. If we stick to the mountains, we don't have to deal with any of the dangers down there and we can reach the ocean quickly."

"That's not a good idea," Scourge grumbled. "The humans are moving in from the ocean. Unless we all want to end up dead, we'd best just go south."

"No, the humans aren't coming in anymore," Kacey stated firmly.

"How do you know?" Garth asked her.

"I've been there," Kacey said hotly. "The humans are only moving in from the south western areas and the humans that used to be on the west are all wiped out by now. All that remains are ruins. I've talked to two wolves that travel regularly from the north and south. If we follow the shoreline long enough, it'll take us to an ice-cap region. When we reach the ice caps, we can move into the mountains and it should take us just a few moons to get out."

"Just a few moons?" Humphrey scoffed, aghast. "How long will it take us from here to the end of this range?"

"Possibly a year," Kacey replied. Humphrey gaped, and then hit himself across the face.

"Please tell me you're joking! We can't just walk through these mountains for a year!"

"What's the rush, Humphrey?" Winston asked him. "Has Sam told you about anything else that's coming?"

"No, it's just that…look, I just want to get to the Pack of the Winter Mountains before anything else happens, alright?"

"Assuming that they exist," Scourge growled. Humphrey glared at him; they were all well aware of Scourge's disbelief in the legends. He thought it best to stay in the plains outside of Jasper because he was not convinced that the pack was truly real.

**PLAY THE SONG NOW**

Admittedly, none of them truly knew if they were real or not. All that any of them knew was that there was said to be a pack of wolves living in the mountains of the far north, the direct descendants of the legendary Dire Wolves that had gone extinct thousands of years prior. No one had ever seen the pack, and all wolves that had gone to look had never returned to say if they existed or not. This meant that the only plausible information they had wasn't even all that plausible: all they knew was that there was a pack that offered a safe haven to any wolf in need if they looked for it.

Sam had implanted the idea of the Pack of the Winter Mountains in Humphrey's mind when they were planning on where to go before the Great War. He refused to say if the pack was real, only saying that he was a believer. Humphrey didn't know if Sam even knew himself if the legends were true or not, but he knew that if the pack was real, he had to get his wolves there. They needed a home, a haven, a refuge to escape to and reside in.

"Look, I know that we all have our doubts as to the existence of the legends," Humphrey said. "But we need to go now or we'll be stuck in these mountains forever. I don't want any of us to live in the danger of whatever the hell is in these forests and Kacey knows a way out of here. Don't you, Kacey?"

"Yeah, I know how to get us out of these mountains," she replied confidently, standing slightly taller.

"Are we going to trust the word of this lone wolf?" Scourge asked. "She isn't exactly the most trustworthy as of late." She growled at him.

"We need her," Humphrey said. "She's the only one that knows a way out of these mountains and we don't have any better choice. So unless you have a suggestion that rivals hers, then you should accept that we're leaving with her."

"When do we leave?" Salty asked.

"Today," Humphrey replied.

**Kala**

The pack began to move out at sundown. Kala felt sad to leave the clearing behind; for over a week, she had grown used to the environment and actually liked it there. Now, they were moving out again. Humphrey was having trouble walking, trying to use his injured leg as little as possible as they began to trek through the mountains. Kala supported him whenever he faulted, doing her best to act as another leg for her father. Kacey walked on the other side of him, slightly ahead. Kala was confused to see her leading the pack rather than Humphrey, but she was sure that her father had his reasons for allowing her to do so.

They began to walk over the mountains, snow covering the rockets like a light pelt over the stone. The sun shined its golden light throughout the range, spreading its brilliant rays across the forests. Kala looked at Humphrey.

"Dad, can I ask you something?" She asked him.

"Sure," he replied, clambering up a rock after Kacey. Kala helped him up, pushing against his rump to assist him in climbing upward. He smiled at her in gratitude. "What is it?"

"Where are we going?" He looked at her oddly.

"No one told you?" He questioned. She shook her head in response. "Well, we're going to the Pack of the Winter Mountains; do you know who they are?" Again, another deny from Kala; she was surprised that no one ever told her that popular legend. He smiled wryly at her.

"The Pack of the Winter Mountains are wolves that live in the Great Mountains of the Far North," he told her mysteriously. Her eyes brightened; she loved to hear stories. "They are the direct descendants of our ancestors, the legendary Dire Wolves. They are kind, caring, and incredibly proud wolves that seek to bring good to our world. Whenever there are wolves in need, they offer their services: any wolf that seeks them out and finds their humble abode will be welcomed into their ranks with open paws. They live in a place that is untouched by the dangers of humans, unseen by any species aside from wolf. The mountains are always touched by the snow of a never ending winter, but the mountains are touched by the sun of an infinite summer; it is the perfect place for a wolf to live and the greatest place in our world. That, Kala, is where we're headed."

"That's amazing!" She exclaimed. "How long will it take us to get there?"

"A long time," Humphrey said sadly. "We'll get there, though; we'll get there. Do you have any other questions for me?"

"Yeah, but I'll ask them later," she said with a smile. He grinned and they walked upward. They assembled on the peak of a mountain, looking into the vast range of mountains. The forest spread out before them in every direction. To the south, they could see the darkness of Jasper. They looked back at their former home, knowing that this would be the last time they'd ever see it. Despite the pain, despite the hurt that happened there…they had to look back at their home one last time.

The ash fell from the sky still, even all of these moons after the Great War, fire spurted from the earth, throwing ash into the sky and blanketing the park. Humphrey let a tear fall into the snow, and then the wolves looked back to the west. Many leagues ahead, they could see just out of the vestiges of their vision, the great ocean beyond. They were not yet close enough to scent it, nor were they close enough to see more than a bare sliver of the water beyond the mountains, but they knew that it was there.

"This is where it begins," Humphrey said to the pack. "This is where the adventure truly begins.

**End of**

**Act One: Hope in Silver**

**A/N: Well, there you have it, an end to Act One of this story and the beginning of the new journey for the wolves of Jasper! Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, Dawn Walker Wolf, and the dark shadow for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	18. Humphrey's Plot

**Act Two: The Wolves of the Darkness**

The old wolf padded carefully into the mountain chamber. It had been over three moons since it had opened. It had been three moons since he had first laid eyes on the object. Each day, the stone floor raised higher, the object extending its rocky tips to the sky. The red hieroglyphics and symbols began to show more clearly on the stone. They did not quite glow, yet; that would happen when it reached the surface, when Fenrisúlfur would spread its paws across the world and bring peace and prosperity. That was, however, as long as the Great Wolf did not return to destroy the object.

He had led his pack leader to the object and read the inscriptions on the ice, informing him of the all-too-real possibility that the evil Great Wolf would return and tear the object from their clutches, banishing it to the sea once more. That could not happen; nature must take its course and allow Fenrisúlfur to bring divinity and power to the wolves. That was what the legends told of; the object was to make the wolves of the world into the greatest, most formidable species alive. Then, they would rise above all others and retake the world as their own, just as the Dire Wolves had done so many millennia earlier. Wolves were to return to the mantle of leadership, to lead the special hierarchy on the planet. The object symbolized hope and prosperity for the wolves of the mountains and beyond. So long had they been cowering in the darkness, accepting the beating and punishment of hostile animals…now it was their time to rise, to assume the greatest mantle of all, and to prove that wolves were the rightful leaders of the world, natural and human-made.

Humanity would fall, that much was certain. Their entire species was busy in their global conflict, killing off one another as each wolf of the world breathed. Once they had destroyed one another, the wolves could move in and retake their lost lands and territories. They would destroy the ruins of the humans' society and return it to the natural world. They had been forced from their homes by the humans, nearly driven to extinction from every corner of the earth, yet the wolves persevered. They survived, and they never forgot the blood of the wolves that humans spilled on the ground, driving them from their rightful homes. When the object rose to the surface entirely, it would send out a global pulse wave that would activate other such objects across the planet. The conjoined power of the objects would raise the original from the sea, and it would begin to transform the wolves into their natural state. They would become the dominant species of the world, and nothing would stop them from their campaign of global dominance. The humans that were left in their wake would learn their place, just as all other species' across the planet would as well.

The wolf had, however, recently noticed the Legend of the Grey. It was said that a wolf (male or female was not specified) would bring peace to the world and to all of wolf kind. When the wolves were in the greatest time of need, the Grey would save all wolves from the danger and bring prosperity to their world. This was the promise of Fenrisúlfur: the Grey that would save them all. It was an omen for two great legends pertaining to a single wolf to rise to the surface. It had only happened once in history, and the records of that time had been lost millennia ago. There was always, in situations such as this, the terrible possibility of one wolf bearing the burden of two legends.

If a wolf was to bear the legend of both the Great Wolf and the Legend of the Grey, then that wolf's loyalties to their species and themselves would be torn. However, the possibility of such an event happening was incredibly slim and near non-existent. The ancient wolf placed a paw on the surface of the object, seeking condolence and answers from its divine touch. The spirits that swarmed around it whispered to him, warning him away.

These, he knew, were the demon spirits trying to keep wolves away from the mantle. He ignored them and sought out the help he needed. Instead, he found that there was something inside of the object. It was something living. A raven, it had formerly been, but was not transformed into something greater, something would help the wolves. He heard cawing and looked above, seeing a raven with shadowy wisps flying from its feathers. This was an omen, a dark one; whatever was inside of the object was not something that would help the wolves; no this was something that should not exist in this world or any other for that matter. It was a terrible monstrosity of its former self, something designed to kill. It was not something that should ever leave this chamber. He was transported into a dark vision, one that showed more of the objects surrounding the original.

The original was massive, towering over the highest mountains of the world. The darkness spread across the planet from the objects; then, a light shone through the darkness and the object was banished to the ocean, the rest falling into their resting places in the mountains. The vision was too strong for the old wolf, too vague, and he was thrown forcefully to the wall of the chamber. The object had had enough of his presence for the day. In respects, the old wolf immediately exited the chamber, leaving the object behind in the shadowy clutches of the chamber.

Golden sunlight fell from the sun, shining over the ice claws protruding from the mountain. The Legend of the Grey prophecy shined brightly on the ice. The old wolf walked over to it, reading it again. It glimmered in its crimson hue: another omen. The Grey from the prophecy was coming soon, very soon. The Great Wolf's prophecy shone just as brightly as well; both legends were to arrive at the same time or near one another. They would reach the mountains soon, possibly within the year. This was important; this was extraordinary! The old wolf left, returning to his pack. The spirits watched him go, shaking their heads in pity for the oblivious wolves. They knew nothing of the legends, nor did they know just what they were headed towards. The Grey and the Great Wolf would come…and they would shake their world to its core.

**Day Ninety Seven**

Kala's third moon had come and past and Humphrey was beginning to recognize her physically less and less. The tawny fur that had only just begun to show moon earlier was now growing prominent within her darkening silver pelt. She was now the same size as he was, quickly maturing physically to Humphrey. However, that maturity was only present with her appearance and bodily systems; her personality was still very much the same, something that Humphrey found quite pleasing. She was most definitely becoming more apt to following rules and becoming more responsible, but she still retained the Omega personality that was far superior to the Alpha personality that she was born with.

Humphrey's leg had healed quickly; unnaturally quick, for that matter. He suspected that Sam had something to do with his rapid healing, silently thanking his Spirit Guide for the help. He had received no response from the Dark Wolf, but he had seen him on several occasions in the distant mountains, keeping a watchful eye over the Jasper wolves. Humphrey was happy to have his company despite the distance he kept from them. Whatever his motives, he felt safer knowing that his Spirit Guide was still with them.

Kacey had miscalculated the total distance that it would take to reach the ocean. After seven months of aimlessly wandering the mountains, she had lost her senses a bit and realized that she had been many leagues closer to the ocean than they were now. Rather than a few days to reach it, their journey would span several more weeks of journeying through the mountains. This resulted in many stops for food and water along the way; luckily, they did not come into contact with the D'Tyoni, Night Watchers, Longfangs, bears, coyotes, wolves, fox, or any other predator along the path to the ocean.

As they journeyed, Kacey had struck as many compelling conversations as possible with Humphrey. He was perplexed by her actions in doing so, wondering just why she was trying to get closer to him. She was an attractive she-wolf, no doubt, and she certainly thought something of Humphrey. He knew not what she thought of him, but he didn't so much care, either; he was already making plans to ditch the she-wolf in the mountains when they reached the land beyond the range. From there, she was not part of their pack; he had no use for a lone wolf in their ranks.

With this plot, however, there was the relationship between Kacey and his daughter that Humphrey could not simply ignore. The two she-wolves had grown close over the weeks and became good friends with one another. If Humphrey was to get rid of Kacey, he would also be tarnishing the relationship between himself and his daughter. That was something he could not risk under any circumstances, yet he couldn't see Kacey as a permanent member of the pack, either. He had to get rid of her somehow, but he knew not how he would go about doing so.

Fortunately for her, they needed her to lead them out of the mountains. Despite Kacey's attraction to Humphrey and Kala, he was strictly game on only using her as a guide out of there. That was her only use; they needed a way out of the mountains and she knew how to go about doing so. He still suspected after the endless days that she may be leading them away from the ocean and into some kind of danger. If that was the case, he would kill the lone wolf without hesitation.

It was midday when they stopped along a cliff, looking out over the mountains. They could not see the ocean from their vantage point, but the distinct scent of salt and the presence of a massive body of water flew on the air. Reaffirming their course, Kacey once again told him that they were to go to the ocean and travel north until they reached the ice. From there, there was a straight-though quite lengthy-pass through the mountains that would lead them closer to the Winter Mountains. He asked her why they couldn't just walk across the ice rather than put themselves in danger by going back into the mountains.

She explained that the wolves she'd talked to had said in no uncertain terms that they had attempted traveling over the ice and lost all of their pups from the instability of the surface. Humphrey quickly got the point and devised a plan to get rid of her discretely. If he followed through with his plan perfectly, then he'd successfully get rid of the lone wolf. It was a dark, horrible idea, but he had to get rid of her and he couldn't let any other wolf see what he did. If they saw what he was going to do to rid the pack of her presence, then they'd never trust him again. It was a perfect plan, completely flawless! He grinned evilly to himself, no other wolves taking notice of his change in mood and thought. He could feel Sam's disapproving glare from somewhere in the mountains, but ignored the Spirit Guide. This was something that he had to do, something that was fully necessary to the survival of the pack. He called out to Kacey to come back, stopping.

The pack stopped, Humphrey telling them to rest for a bit. He gathered Scourge, Kacey, Garth, and Winston together. They looked at Humphrey questioningly, unable to understand why he decided to stop their progress. Humphrey did his best to squander any emotions of apprehension or darkness that would show on his face. This was something he had to do, something that was fully necessary to the pack's survival. He looked at the wolves, meeting their gazes fully.

"I want to scout the area ahead," Humphrey told them confidently. "I'll be gone for a two to three days at the most. I'm just going ahead to make sure we're not walking right into a human trap or something worse." They nodded solemnly, knowing that Garth and Lily would take over in his absence.

"When do we leave?" Scourge asked him.

"You're not coming, Scourge," Humphrey told him. He looked surprised to hear that he was being left out of Humphrey's journey, but nodded. As he was not coming with Humphrey, he was to assume command in his absence instead; Garth and Lily would help out if any problems arose. "I'll be taking Kacey with me." This elicited many surprised looks from the wolves, shocked to hear that he wanted to take her rather than any other wolf. "She knows the area ahead and I'd feel safer if I had someone with me that knew how to actually navigate these mountains."

"Are you sure, son?" Winston asked him. Humphrey nodded to the old wolf.

"Yes, I am," he replied confidently. "You'll all remain here until we return. We'll howl every twelve hours, at noon and at twilight. If you howl and we don't howl back, then it means that something has happened to us and you have to lead the pack out of these mountains."

"It's risky," Garth said, hesitant to allow Humphrey to leave the pack; if he died, how would they cope? "We should have another wolf go with you."

"No," Humphrey growled. "I need all of you to stay here in case something happens. We can move faster if it's just Kacey and I." They nodded, Kacey looking ecstatic about the ordeal. The wolves dispersed and Humphrey ordered Kacey to stay there. He padded to Kala. She was scenting the air happily, her eyes gleaming with interest.

He sat beside her, waiting patiently for her to finish the scenting. He carefully slipped off his bracelet as she finished. She looked at him expectantly. Humphrey took a breath, searching for the right words to say to his daughter.

"I'm going to scout the area ahead with Kacey," he told her. "I'll be gone for two to three days, and I need you to help out the pack as much as you can without getting yourself hurt, okay?"

"Okay, Dad!" She replied, eager to do so. He smiled and took her right paw. He slipped the bracelet on her leg and tightened it around her. She looked at it, admiring the object. She looked at him, questioning him as to why he was giving it to her.

"Something to remember me by while I'm gone," he explained. She smiled and nuzzled him. "Think you can keep it safe?"

"You can count on me, Dad!" Kala replied confidently. He laughed and licked his daughter.

"I'll see you soon, Kala," he told her, beginning to walk away. "Goodbye; I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad," Kala replied. "Stay safe."

"I will," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. With that, he turned and padded to Kacey. She could barely contain her excitement, Humphrey pitying the lone wolf. "Are you ready?"

"Let's go," she replied with a smile.

**A/N: Well, there you have it! Thanks to Lilyandme, Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, and the dark shadow for reviewing my last chapter! Well, Humphrey's got a dark plan brewing, but what will happen? Stay tuned to see! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	19. Relative Hostilities

After Humphrey and Kacey left, Kala found that she had no idea what to do. It was quite odd to her; she had spent the majority of her life without either of them and now that they were gone, she didn't know what else to do with herself. For a while, she simply sat down and admired her mother's work on the intricate bracelet she made for Humphrey. The expert craftsmanship within the bracelet was clearly evident in the way that it was made. She was impressed that her mother had made such a beautiful creation; she must have truly loved her father to spend so much time on such a thing as this.

She took it off and placed it on a rock. She lied down and began to study every millimeter of the bracelet. She could see her own silver fur wrapped tightly around the bracelet, making the object shine beautifully. The three violet petals truly brought life to the bracelet and gave it a nice flare of fines. Then, she noticed something inscribed on one of the twigs. She leaned closer, furrowing her brow as she tried to read the miniscule writing. Wolves did not have any formal written language, but there was always one universal language commonly shared by all species. Considering that upon first glance, it seemed to have looked quite familiar to her, she guessed that it was this shared language.

Unfortunately for her, she could not read it, but Kate obviously could since she had written it. She was intrigued that her mother would write something along the twigs, especially so small and faint that it was near unnoticeable. She wondered if Humphrey had even noticed that there was writing on its surface; after all, one must look incredibly hard to see what was written on the surface. She shrugged and pulled it back over her leg again, ensuring that it was tightly secured to her leg. Inspecting the bracelet reminded her of her father and the pang of his absence returned. She supposed that she could go talk to Kacey; that would take her mind off of things.

Padding back to the rest of the wolves, she sought out her newfound friend. Strangely enough, she was nowhere to be found. She was a lone wolf, but it was not exactly common for wolves to just leave unexpectedly, especially as of late; Kacey had grown closer to Kala and made the attempt to do the same with Humphrey (unfortunately for her, however, she failed in that respect). She wouldn't just leave for no reason, and she most certainly wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to Kala! Yet she was gone and so was her father.

"Scourge?" Kala asked the black wolf. He turned his yellow gaze to hers. "Where's Kacey?"

"She's with Humphrey," he replied. Her eyes widened in surprise; he hadn't told her that Kacey was going along with him. This was certainly not what she was expecting, and she asked him why she had gone with Humphrey. "He wanted to scout ahead and make sure we weren't walking into danger. He took Kacey with him because she knows the area." Well, that made sense to her. Still, it meant that Kacey had left without saying goodbye to Kala; it disappointed her that her friend would do something like that, but she was sure that Kacey had her reasons. Perhaps she had innocently forgotten to do so.

She padded along the mountain face, looking out over the vast mountain range. The north faded into the mists of the mountains, the peaks reaching as far as the clouds on the tallest mountains. She wondered what it would be like to stand atop one of the mountains, to stand in the sky. They hadn't walked on top of any of the tall mountains; they had remained on the smaller ones and on the rock faces for the most part to prevent any accidents from happening. Humphrey had, however, promised that if they got the chance during their journey, that he'd take her to the peak of one of the mountains to howl. He hoped that they would be able to do so on a night when the spirits returned, but they hadn't seen the spirits in weeks.

Looking out over the mountains, she was able to see two small shapes walking away towards the west. She recognized them as her father and Kacey. Smiling, she lifted back her head and howled to them in temporary farewell. When she did so, they stopped and turned back. Humphrey returned the howl, Kacey howling as well a few moments after he finished. Then, the two began to walk into the mountains, leaving them behind. It was sad to see them leave, but they would return; of that she was positive.

"They're never coming back, you know," a voice snarled behind her. She looked back and saw Firetail standing there. She groaned; why did he have to ruin everything?

"Yes they are, Firetail," she sighed, doing her best not to let her anger get the better of her. She had done so before and had only succeeded in getting in trouble with Lily and Garth. She wasn't eager to receive another lecture from her aunt and uncle again.

"They're leaving to go have pups," he told her with a smirk. She glowered at him, her anger simmering like boiling water. "Humphrey wants pups that are stronger and better than worthless run Omegas like you."

"My dad loves me!" Kala growled. "He'd never leave me!"

"So why is he doing it now, stupid?" Firetail persisted, happy to see that she was getting angered by him. "It's because I'm right! He doesn't like stupid, ugly, worthless Omegas like you!" She couldn't take it anymore and she leapt at him, slamming him to the ground. She curled her paw into a fist and punched him in the face-hard. He cried out in pain and kicked her in the belly, batting her repeatedly.

He managed to throw her off of him and attacked her. He sank his claws into her arms and left long scratches down her. She snarled in pain and bit his ear. He yelped and yanked off Humphrey's bracelet. Suddenly, the fight didn't matter to her anymore; all that mattered was protecting Humphrey's bracelet. She had promised him that she would keep it safe.

"No, please!" Kala pleaded. "I'll do anything, just don't do anything with that! My dad told me to protect it and I can't let anything happen to it! Please, just give it back!" He grinned and held it out over the ledge by two claws.

"Your dad can go fuck himself," Firetail spat. With that, he dropped the bracelet. She cried out as she watched it drop down. Suddenly, she was overtaken by fury. She slammed into him, pushing him off of the ledge. He fell back with a startled cry; he landed on his leg, the bone snapping with a loud crack. He howled in pain and screamed in agony, clutching his leg. Kala saw the bracelet lying on a rock, perfectly unscathed. She dashed over to it and slid it back on.

Unfortunately, Firetail's screaming attracted the rest of the pack. Lily sprinted to his side, horrified by the sight.

"What happened?" She cried.

"He fell," Kala said quickly. "We were play fighting and we got too close to the edge. I tried to warn him, but he fell off the ledge. I came down as soon as I heard him." Lily nodded and picked him up on her back whispering soothingly to him. The wolves dispersed; all of them, except for Scourge.

"Wait, pup," he said. Kala gulped, stopping to listen to him.

"Y-yes, sir?" She asked.

"I saw what happened, don't try and lie to me about the 'play fight' crap," her ears flattened as he said that, looking down in shame. He tilted his head in interest. "What's wrong?"

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"Mad? Are you kidding? That was quite impressive fighting; it was crude, I'll definitely say that it wasn't perfect, but it was quite impressive. You showed aggression, and that's one of the most important parts of fighting," Kala was surprised that he wasn't mad at her, and she was just as surprised that he hadn't told anyone about what really happened. "You know, your father's going to be gone for the next few days and we can't really go anywhere. What do you say I help you with those fighting skills to pass the time?"

"Really?" Kala asked, surprised and enthusiastic. He smiled and nodded. "Wow, of course! Thank you, Scourge!"

"It's my pleasure, pup," Scourge said, leading her back up the mountain face. "I'm a bit rusty, so it'll be good for me to refresh my abilities with some good old fashion training. Oh, and since I'm good friends with your father, I guess you can call my Uncle Nick if you want."

"Why 'Nick?'" She asked curiously.

"It was my old name," he said gruffly. "Just keep that between you and me, though; I don't think I've quite grown tired of Scourge yet."

"Okay, Uncle Nick," she replied with a smile.

**A/N: Well, this was intense for Kala…again! I know, you were all expecting an update on Humphrey and Kacey's journey. Unfortunately, tomorrow I have exams and I probably won't be able to get an update out until Friday night (it's going to be a bit of a lengthy chapter). That, and I'm just an evil, evil person XD but hey, that's just who I am!**

**Thanks to Alexander, the dark shadow, imjustlikehumphrey, and Dawn Walker Wolf for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	20. Night of the D'Tyoni

Kacey was quite ecstatic about scouting ahead with him; perhaps, a bit _too_ ecstatic. Like Kala, she was literally all just energy encased in the body of a she-wolf. Humphrey hadn't been more annoyed by a grown wolf in his entire life. As a pup, it was forgivable; they were younger and liked to have fun, using up that energy that they had stored within them to their fullest. When a grown wolf was acting like a pup, however, it was simply seen as immature and quite a nuisance. Humphrey simply tried to find condolence in the fact that the entire reason they were going in the forest was so he could get rid of her for good.

She, of course, was oblivious to his motives and gleefully padded beside him. He could have easily kicked her out of the pack on a whim, but if he did so, Kala would find out and never forgive him. This was the only way to get rid of her; when he returned without Kacey, he'd tell them that she had slipped on ice and fallen off of a cliff. He intended on killing her, but he didn't intend on using his claws and fangs to take her life. Instead, he would push her off of a cliff or another high area, somewhere that she would indefinitely die from. He felt sorry for her, but he knew that if didn't kill her, she'd either track them for the rest of their lives, seek revenge, or she'd keep being a lone wolf and a potential danger to them. This was the only way he could go about getting rid of her, and he was fully prepared to do so. As they climbed the next mountain, Humphrey could hear the farewell howl of his daughter.

He grinned and turned back, returning her howl with his own. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, no doubt, and she kept the memory of his mate alive. In the past, he had seen her similar appearance and voice as a bad thing, something that would forever haunt him; now, he could see that she was who she was, and that he shouldn't try to change her or wish that she would be different. He loved Kala and he was proud to be her father. He was eager to get this over with so he could go back to the pack and spend time with her again.

That was another thing Kacey did that was incredibly annoying to him: she spent time with Kala, taking his time away from her. Selfish as the thought was, he simply couldn't help wishing that she'd stay back and allow him to spend time with his daughter. He ended the howl and began to walk back up the slope when he heard Kacey's howl. She was saying her goodbyes to Kala as well; he seethed in anger; she was no friend of his daughter, and she had no place in the pack or right to associate with Kala.

He waited impatiently for her to end her howl. Finally, she smiled and pranced back up the slope towards him. He turned around and led the way up the mountain, Kacey falling in step beside him. She was an odd she-wolf, definitely acting strangely around him. This was no simple happiness of doing something aside from leading the pack; he knew that if he'd sent her to scout ahead by herself or with any other wolf, she wouldn't have been this overjoyed. She was happy about being with him, not about scouting ahead.

Angered by this, Humphrey stalked ahead, keeping a tail's length distance from her. She initially tried to get closer when he pulled away, but after the third time, she got the message and backed off. Still, he felt her eyes boring into his fur as he took the lead. He let his anger simmer, trying to get his mind off of the annoying she-wolf. He tried thinking of Kala, but found that thoughts of her only led back to thoughts of Kacey which, in turn, led back to his awareness of her following. He silently thought to himself that it would all be over soon enough, but it still didn't change the fact that she was annoying and needed to just bug off.

Kacey, however, did not seem to notice that his attitude had turned hostile towards her. Rather, she was enjoying the company of Humphrey and thinking her own private thoughts. Humphrey was just happy that she was keeping her mouth shut for the moment; the last thing he wanted was for her to start talking and make things even more annoying than they were. For hours they trekked ahead, over and along the mountains, consistently heading towards the ocean. Finally, they stopped beside the mountains, looking out over a large circular formation of the mountains. Within the formation was a large, lush valley of grass, a lake resting to the far right. It appeared to be at least three leagues across the valley. It would easily take the pack less than two days to reach the ocean; he could hear it just over the mountains ahead.

He began to walk down, but Kacey looked increasingly nervous as they did. He paid her no mind, continuing his descent into the valley. She opened her mouth to say something, but Humphrey silenced her with a growl. She whimpered as they walked downward, her crying growing louder and louder as they neared the valley. Humphrey unsheathed his claws, scraping them across the rock as they went down, his jaw clenching as he listened to her whimpers of distress. What could that stupid she-wolf possibly want that was so incredibly important? He decided not to ask, knowing that she'd just become more annoying the instant that she opened her mouth. No, it could wait. The last thing he wanted to hear was her voice before he killed her, anyway. Finally, they reached the valley and Kacey's whimpering had become irrevocably unbearable. He growled and looked back at the she-wolf. She was cowering in fear on the mountain face, looking nervously at the valley ahead.

"What's wrong?" Humphrey demanded. Her eyes locked with his and for a brief instant, she actually stopped whimpering. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, she began to whimper again. He repeated the question and waited expectantly for her response. She looked about frantically, her jaw quivering and her tail tucked tightly between her hind legs. Something terrified her, but she wasn't saying anything. "I don't have time for this, Kacey; unless you're going to speak up and tell me what's wrong, we're going forward!"

"NO!" Kacey screamed. He was taken off guard by the force of her exclamation, surprised by her outburst. "The D'Tyoni live here!" He looked about the valley, searching its landscape. He saw no caves in the mountains, no holes in the ground. There was not a single scent, marking, or a sign at all that anything else had lived here, much less the D'Tyoni. There were the incredibly faint traces of animals that had passed through in the past, but aside from that, there was nothing.

"I don't see anything," Humphrey dismissed in exasperation. "I don't scent anything, feel anything, or have the slightest indication that there's anything living in this valley at all. Now come on, we're getting to the other side of this valley before morning." With that, he began to walk into the valley. She moaned and whimpered for a while, Humphrey ignoring her and walking into the valley. Finally, she gave in and reluctantly padded after him. She quickly reached his side, her eyes darting about wildly.

The two wolves walked through the valley, nothing coming out to meet them. Humphrey was beginning to think that Kacey had something wrong with her, perhaps extreme paranoia or hallucinations. If this was so, then it would be a mercy to kill her; she was a danger to everyone if this was the case, and she needed to be put down in that kind of a scenario. Still, nothing came out. After several hours, the sun began to set over the mountains and they had traveled halfway through the valley. As the darkness enveloped the sky, Kacey began to whimper and cry again, fearfully staring around the valley and the mountains.

Humphrey sighed at her reaction; how was he supposed to get anywhere if all she did was whimper about nothing all of the time? The lake wasn't far off; perhaps he could simply drown her and finally be done with it. After all, she was just getting more aggravating by the second and he would surely be driven insane if he didn't just kill her now. He unsheathed his claws, ready to pounce on her and kill the lone wolf. He could simply divert the course of the pack away from her corpse so Kala would never have to know that he killed her. Yes, that was what he'd do. It was a fool-proof plan; it was something that upon looking back at Kacey, he knew that he would never be able to bring himself to do. The fading sunlight once again illuminated her brown fur, giving the sun-cast hue of a tawny pelt covering her. The only thing that would keep him from thinking that Kacey was his mate was the dark pink irises of her eyes. She was stunningly beautiful, a she-wolf that could have very well rivaled Kate in physical appearance. Not quite, but possibly.

She looked so frail, so innocent, so scared to be in the valley with him. All of her earlier excitement had vanished, replaced by insatiable terror. He had plotted and planned to kill her, and now he knew that he could not follow through with it. He couldn't just murder the she-wolf in cold blood; there would not be in the world that would look kindly upon the actions of murdering an innocent wolf. He felt the overwhelming drive to comfort her as he would comfort Kate, but he resisted the urge and refused to do so. He sighed and looked at her in pity.

"Look, would talking about something get your mind off of this?" Humphrey asked her. She looked at him nervously and slowly nodded her head, her eyes bearing gratitude for breaking the uncomfortable silence between the two. "Alright, what do you want to talk about?" She thought for a moment, struggling to keep her mind off of the valley and the D'Tyoni. Obviously, this was not something easy for her to do, for she thought for several minutes as they walked and still had not come up with a subject to talk of.

"I-I," she began, stuttering. "I don't really know. Can you think of something?" Humphrey grunted in confirmation, thinking about something that would keep her mind off of the dangers that were obviously not present in the valley.

"What was life like in your pack?" Humphrey asked her. He didn't so much care about what her life was like; he just wanted her to stop whimpering. He'd pretend like he actually cared about anything she said, nod and tell her he was fascinated when in actuality he wasn't even listening to anything she was saying. She thought for a bit, her mind finally diverted from the D'Tyoni and the valley itself. She breathed deeply and then exhaled, ready to talk.

"It was hard," she told him. "We abode by the Law of the Ancient Packs, so Omegas had to do a lot of the same things that Alphas did. We were still able to have fun if we wanted, but we would be harshly punished if we didn't get done what we needed to get done, like hunting. We wouldn't name pups until they were three moons old to make sure that they were actually going to survive. I was never even named; I came up with Kacey by myself."

"Sorry to hear that," Humphrey said. He pretended not to care, but at the same time, he did feel sympathetic towards the she-wolf. What kind of a parent didn't name their pup?

"It's okay; like I said, no one really liked me in my pack," Kacey replied. "We always had trouble with the wolverines, too; they wouldn't ever leave us alone and sometimes they'd raid the territory and take pups while they slept. It was a nightmare to live there, and I spent three moons there. My father would abuse me constantly, ever since I was three moons old. He would take me to his den and I would come out every night wanting to die." She let a tear fall from her eye from the painful memory. Humphrey, too, felt sorry for her. He knew that she probably didn't want to talk about it, but he had to ask about her father's abusive behavior.

"Did he-?" Humphrey began.

"Rape me?" Kacey finished, clearly reading his mind. He was almost about to call her out on doing so, but thought better of it; after all, she didn't know who Sam was. She shook her head sadly. "No, luckily he didn't do that. He would beat me all of the time, but he saved rape for my mother and my older sisters. He was going to do so when I turned two, though; that was when he began raping my sisters. The humans attacked us a moon before I turned two, though; I was out trying to find a log sled when it happened."

"I'm sorry," Humphrey murmured truthfully. "I had no idea, Kacey…I'm sorry; you didn't deserve to have to go through that." She shook her head and flashed a weak smile to him.

"Thanks for listening, Humphrey," she thanked him. "You're the first wolf I've ever met that would do that." He nodded and they continued on in silence. The sun set over the mountains, the valley quickly darkening as the sky turned a blue-grey hue. Suddenly, the ground rumbled beneath them. Kacey yelped in fear and curled up in a ball on the ground, her tail covering her face as the rumbling continued.

"What's wrong?" Humphrey asked, wondering where the rumbling was coming from. She lifted her tail and looked at him fearfully.

"D'Tyoni," she whispered. His eyes widened and realized the crucial fault he'd made; suddenly, a massive creature burst from the ground, looking out over the mountains ahead. Humphrey crouched down, peering at the creature. It was a D'Tyoni; Kacey had described it perfectly as what it was: a massive, black scorpion. Its tail easily peaked twelve feet tall, its back well over four feet above the ground. Large pincers snapped and clicked as it skittered about. It hissed and scented the air, its antennas probing the world around it.

Humphrey and Kacey crouched far behind it, surveying its movements. More D'Tyoni burst from the valley, some beginning to fight with one another, tearing each other apart with their pincers and stabbing one another with their poison-barbed tails. Humphrey and Kacey crept forward, getting away from the massive creatures that stalked the moonlit valley.

One burst up directly in front of them. Humphrey quickly slammed Kacey's jaws together to keep her from screaming in fear. It looked about, the two wolves pressing their bellies to the ground. It turned about and walked over them, back to the group of D'Tyoni ahead. They watched as it left, oblivious to their presence. Humphrey was astounded that they managed to leave no trace of their existence in the valley, especially when they were so large of creatures.

"They only come out of their holes when they sense something moving above them," Kacey whispered to him. "That's why I was trying to warn you!" He nodded, hating himself for being so foolish as to have let something so stupid get in the way of his objective. How could he do something like this? He could get himself killed by being in this valley and Kacey was supposed to be his guide through the mountains! He shouldn't have shut her up back at the base of the mountains; he should have listened to her warnings!

It was too late now, though; now, they had to run and hope they could reach the mountains before the D'Tyoni did. As soon as they were far enough away from the creatures, they broke into a harried sprint for the mountains. The adrenaline flowing through their veins gave them the energy they required to reach the mountains and the quickly escaped the valley, coming across dunes just beyond the rocky peaks.

They let themselves rest, panting for breath as they stood atop a large dune. Suddenly, a D'Tyoni burst through the sand, hissing at them. They evaded a swipe of its poisonous tail, narrowly dodging its frenzied attacks. It dove into the sand and burrowed deep into the dunes. They looked about frantically, searching for the D'Tyoni. Finally, it burst from the sand below Humphrey. He flew into the air and was batted by its tail into another dune. He slammed against it hard, groaning in pain.

The D'Tyoni scampered towards him, snapping its pincers as it approached. Humphrey tried to run, but his leg was stuck in the sand. He heaved and pulled, trying to get free of it as the creature bore down upon him. He slammed his eyes shut, knowing that he was about to die. The blow did not come, though; he looked up to see Kacey holding on to the D'Tyoni's tail, biting down on the flesh in between its shell-like hide. It screeched in pain as she bit harder. It swung its tail to and fro, trying to shake her off of it.

She held fast, though, and blood began to flow from its tail. Humphrey took advantage of the distraction and yanked his leg free of the sand. He ran forward, trying to help Kacey. He howled at the D'Tyoni, trying to draw its attention from Kacey. It screamed and snapped its pincers at Humphrey. He dodged the sharp appendages and leapt at its face. He dug his claws into its face, blood spurting from it. The D'Tyoni hissed and clicked its mandibles, as he tore out one of its eyes. It screamed in fury and pain and swung its tail about. Kacey still hung on until finally, the last two feet of its tail fell free, Kacey hanging on to it. It screeched, blood flying from its tail and face. It batted Humphrey away and knocked Kacey down the dune.

She landed heavily on the sand, still hanging on tightly to the poisonous barb. The D'Tyoni launched itself at her and Humphrey saw it envelop her. As soon as it hit the ground, he heard a sickening splat and the D'Tyoni screamed once more. It slumped to the ground, blood pouring from its underbelly. Humphrey saw the D'Tyoni shift, ready to move if the creature attacked him again. However, it did not get back up; it was simply pushed to the side, the poison barb embedded in its chest. Kacey stood up, covered from paw to ear in a thick layer of black blood.

She spat out it out and Humphrey rushed to her side. She looked at him gratefully as they treaded through the dunes towards a nearby river. She leapt in, washing the blood from her pelt. Humphrey did the same, though she had far more blood on her than he did. She padded out of the water, her fur glistening beautifully from the water droplets in her fur. He admired her beauty for a brief moment as she shook her fur and began to groom it back. They approached one another and Kacey smiled weakly.

"Well, I guess we both know what it feels like to be covered in blood, now," she remarked. He laughed and, out of pure instinct, leaned in and pressed his nose and lips to hers. She looked at him, startled for a moment, but then quickly gave in and returned the kiss. In truth, he was just as surprised and shocked by his actions as she was. He knew not why he was doing this, nor did he know what caused him to so much as think of doing this, but he didn't care. He just continued to kiss her, glad and thankful that she had survived the encounter with the D'Tyoni and grateful for her saving him. The two wolves stood there, half submerged in the water and weary from their battle with the D'Tyoni, kissing one another.

Humphrey heard the sound of sweet laughter from somewhere; it was not Kacey's laugh, it was not his own. He knew that laugh, and he immediately knew that they were being watched. Kate was watching the two-and she was happy by what she saw.

**A/N: Well, there it is! I had a half day today and I'll have another one tomorrow for the exams (new school district over here, I didn't know it was going to be a half day) so I was able to write this today! So, what's going to happen next? Humphrey just freaking KISSED Kacey! What's going to happen now? Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, imjustlikehumphrey, the dark shadow, and MoonTrekerAF for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	21. Moonlight Intimacy

Kala learned quickly that Scourge was no pushover when it came to fighting, hunting, tactical movements, and endurance training. He vigorously taught her the key points of each subject, though the training was tedious and both mentally and physically straining on her. Wearied from the exhaustion of seemingly endless hours of ceaseless training from the black wolf, she found dehydration and fatigue beginning to wear down on her. Scourge was not an easily forgiving instructor, either; he didn't take well to weaknesses and pushed her consistently to do her best despite her tired state of mind, body, and overall health.

At first, it seemed like a perfect idea to have Scourge teach her the ways of the wolves; their hunting, their fighting, tactics, maneuvers, howling call outs, and so forth. This proved to be wrong, however, when Scourge proved to be more of an unforgiving instructor rather than a kindly teacher. They started with the clear basics of fighting; she was eager to learn how to fight with proper form, stance, and maneuvers, but she was disappointed that he didn't teach her how to hunt. He explained that her father would deem him unworthy to teach her such an important lesson and would most likely want to teach her that himself.

She understood that mindset and pushed the thoughts from her mind as he showed her the basic forms of fighting. This did, however, mean that she was required to flawlessly replicate each lesson he taught her, and as a beginner, she knew not how to go about doing so. Despite her Alpha blood, the DNA of Omega coursed stronger still through her veins, and she was not in the right state of mind or body to be going about such tough training, especially when it required extreme physical activity and staining work outs that could easily cause her to pass out from the force of exhaustion. This led Scourge to a frustration that he was not fully familiarized with; in his former pack, wolves seemed to have acquired these abilities by pure nature and were instinctually prepared for the beginnings of training, even without prior knowledge of the full experience. Kala, however, was not born in such a pack; none of them were. Not even the Eastern-blood wolves had gone through such trying work.

Unable to figure out how to cope and work around the temporary physical inabilities of Kala's overall extremely limited experience, he pushed her to the limit until she was quite thoroughly unable to do anything else. She collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, her breathing patterns showing clear signs of abnormalities and dehydration. Scourge knew, despite his former attempts at pushing her to the limit as he'd always been taught to do, that every wolf needed to drink once in a while. He slipped his body underneath hers, lifting him up on her back. At the age of three moons old, Kala was not far off from being a full-grown she-wolf, and Scourge was initially surprised by her weight. Still, he was stronger and lifted her to the snow-capped peaks. He rested her in the frigid snow and allowed her to lap up the icy crystals for water. This proved to be a better restoration than simple pure water due to its extreme temperature decrease, and she ate the snow in large gulps.

Snow was a fairly new thing to her; ever since they had neared the mountains, she had known what snow was, but she had never seen it fall from the sky like she'd heard it did. It was said to not fall quite like rain, but flutter like the leaves of a light autumn breeze, gently separating the leaves from their wooden homes until they glided gracefully to the ground below. She had seen leaves do this plenty enough; after all, she was born nearly on the eve of the season itself. Winter, however, she had yet to experience, and it was quite a different story for her in that sense. She was eager for the winter to arrive so she could experience the fall of snow, though Humphrey always said it was a season of sadness for him; he would always remember the winter as the long moons he'd spent away from Kate when she had traveled beyond the Jasper territory to the Alpha schooling enrollment courses.

Kala had heard reference to Alpha schooling and training, but she had never truly had it explained to her. As an Omega, Humphrey was unable to do so. Truth be told, the majority of the wolves that were part of the pack were Omegas save for Winston, Garth, and one of the more anti-social Eastern wolves in their small, segregated group of four. Kala had always meant to ask Winston and Garth about since she had first heard of it, but never truly got around to it. She had even asked Scourge, but he was ranked as a subordinate Beta class wolf.

Interested, she inquired as to the origin of the Betas. He explained that when wolves abode by the Law of the Ancient Packs, they would proceed to allow only one Alpha wolf in the pack, the male. Sometimes, however, the female would prove to be the ever-dominant partner and assume the role of leadership, occasionally having the audacity to challenge the male to a dominance battle to assume rule over the pack. In the sense of his pack, the mate of the Alpha challenged him to a dominance battle. Unbeknownst to the Alpha, she had snuck the poisonous fang of rattle snake into her fur. In the middle of the battle, he lunged forward, only for her to yank the fang from her fur and plunge it into his breast, the poison seeping into his blood stream and into his heart; he died within moments.

She still, however, did not understand how this information pertained to the Beta wolves. He explained that the female became the Alpha but needed a mate to have pups with. The pups would become the classless Zetas. She chose Scourge-who, at the time, was named Nicholas-to be her mate. Having known her in his puphood and considered her a close friend, he was ecstatic to become her mate despite his rank as an Omega. In order to have any power as a Leader Wolf, however, it was required that he go through the training of a Beta to be admitted into a relationship with her. The Beta training was not dissimilar from Alpha training, though it was done within the territorial confines of the pack he or she lived in rather than journeying to the meeting place of the Alphas, and the training was not as trying as that of the Alphas, nor did he learn many of the things that Alphas were taught.

Having understood the purpose and place of the Betas, Kala's mind drifted to one part of Scourge's explanation that she did not understand. He had said that his mate, the Alpha Female, had needed a mate for the sole purpose of pups to become heirs to the pack. This didn't make logical sense to her, as she had always been taught by Lily that wolves were to love one another deeply to have a successful, loving, lasting relationship with one another. By the way Scourge described her motives, it seemed that she didn't care much for this and only wanted Scourge for the heirs of the pack.

Solemnly, he explained that that was precisely what he was meant for; he had been in love with the Alpha, but she was not in love with him, and her true ambitions became depressingly clear to him later on before he was banished from his pack. Kala was sympathetic towards the black wolf, sad that he had to undergo the hurt and betrayal of the she-wolf he was in love with. Kala thought distastefully of the she-wolf; why would anyone ever want to hurt their mate like that? It was a selfish, disgusting act that she considered blasphemous and sickening. Why any wolf would do such a terrible thing was beyond her, yet the mate of her father's friend and the gruff uncle-like figure in her life had done just that.

Scourge now sat in the snow, waiting for her to finish her rest. Her pulse began to slow, returning to a regular beat, her panting becoming less hoarse and ragged. She stood up in the snow; it was too wet and compact for any of it to attract to her fur, and she only left a slight indentation in the snowy ground beneath her. She arched her back, stretching her legs and yawning from the wake of her fatigue. Scourge looked her over carefully, making sure she wasn't physically hurt. Luckily, she had not gained any visible bruises, scratches, cuts, or bumps on her from what he could see. He beckoned her to follow him, returning to the slope where they were training. She gaped at him, aghast that they were going to train more.

He turned back, looking expectantly at her. He didn't seem to understand that in her physical condition, training for the amount of hours that they already had was quite enough for her. She, on the other paw, didn't seem to understand how in the name of Fenrir any wolf was supposed to accomplish the training that Scourge had set out for her to complete.

"You can't be serious!" Kala exclaimed.

"Why can't I?" Scourge asked flatly.

"We've been training for hours!" She protested. "I can't take any more of this training, at least not for a few days!" He glowered at her, growling low in his throat.

"Is that what it's come to?" Scourge demanded. "Are you just a simple-minded, weak Omega cry-puppy? Is that what you want to be known as? How about when Firetail finds out about this; what he think? Do you want him to win the next fight you get in?"

"He won't," Kala growled defiantly. "I beat him once, I can beat him again."

"Not at the rate you're at now," Scourge replied. "A wolf can grow stronger every day, and you have never been in more than one fight up until earlier today. Next time, you need to know how to properly defend yourself against him any other adversary that you come across! Now come on, we work until you get this technique right." Kala groaned and reluctantly followed her new and not-so-fond-of Mentor Wolf.

**Humphrey**

He broke away from the kiss with her and they stared into one another's eyes. He didn't understand what had come over him; only hours before he'd been plotting to murder her, and now he found himself falling for the she-wolf. What was going on? Why was he doing this? His mind screamed incessantly at him, telling him that this was wrong, this was all wrong! He rebelled against the idea of doing this, yet his heart told him this was right, that he was meant to be with Kacey in this moment, on this night, alone with her.

She closed her eyes and leaned in, parting her jaws ever so slightly to embrace him in another kiss. He wordlessly returned her kiss; hesitation and reluctance absent from his mind, void of his understanding and will against her. He longed for her, he strove for her, and he _needed_ her.

They broke away and she giggled, grinning at him. She looked at him seductively, running her tail underneath his chin. She walked away slowly, looking back at him with a sly smile. He gave a wry smile and followed her, padding behind her. He watched her rear the whole way, noticing the musky scent beginning to flow from her. He recognized that scent back when he was with Kate on his birthday. He knew what was going to happen, and he felt himself becoming stiff in his own area.

She padded to the grass and stretched her body in front of him, her curves and flawless body attracting Humphrey all the more. She blinked at him slowly and smiled. He padded up to her, Kacey running her body underneath his chin. He nuzzled her neck fur as she curved her body away from him, her rear brushing against his chest. He sniffed between her legs and nosed her she-wolfhood. She breathed deeply and giggled again.

Before she could react, he flipped her to her back. She looked at him, surprised that he was being so forceful, but liking it nevertheless. She spread her legs apart, her wet she-wolfhood presenting itself to him. Without hesitation, he lunged forward and began to lick her she-wolfhood, sliding his tongue into her. She gasped, her chest rising high, her eyes wide in surprise and pleasure. She began to moan from the force of his tongue until he pulled away abruptly. He lowered his body to her and slid his wolfhood into her.

He grabbed her shoulders, he claws sinking into his scruff. She breathed heavily, readying herself for him. She looked at him, their eyes locking into each other. She nodded to him and smiled, closing her eyes. With that, he began to slowly thrust into her. She moaned with each push of his wolfhood and her breathing became ragged and strained. Still, he continued on and pushed deeper into her. He felt a type of barrier in her, something he had not encountered when he had mated with Kate. He was hardly in her and annoyed with the barrier and slammed into it, breaking through. She cried out in pain, screaming in ecstasy and agony. He halted, looking down at her in fear and concern.

"Kacey, are you okay?" He asked her worriedly.

"Ah, that hurt like a bitch!" She growled.

"Maybe we should stop-"

"No, please don't!" Kacey begged, her eyes looking into his desperately. "Don't stop! It feels so much better than hurt!" He nodded and smiled, thrusting again. She moaned as he had moved deeper into her. As they moved on, Kacey's heart rate picked up and she breathed faster and deeper. When they were finished, she buried her face in his chest fur and panted. He lied his head atop hers and looked down at her, holding her tightly to his body.

He never felt so alive, never felt so free, so amazing! Kacey was a truly outstanding she-wolf, and she was so great in so many ways. Now, she proved to be amazing in mating as well. Even, admittedly, more so than Kate.  
"I love you, Humphrey," Kacey whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I love you, so, so much."

"I love you, too, Kacey," Humphrey replied. He found that he meant it fully; he did love Kacey. He didn't, perhaps, love her as much as he loved Kate, but he did love her. He looked past her and saw a tawny she-wolf on a dune, looking down at them, tears falling from her eyes. Humphrey's heart lurched, and he longed to go to her. He was, however, tied with her, unable to move. She looked at the two sadly and flashed Humphrey a smile before padding away slowly.

**A/N: Well, this was quite eventful for both Kala and Humphrey! Not many detail I need to go into here as I'm sure it's pretty self-explanatory for all of you. Thanks to The Silver Wolf, the dark shadow, Dawn Walker Wolf, and chiefdaniel117 for reviewing my last chapter!**

**Before I go, however, I'd like to post my thoughts on this TrollerTrollston guy who is hating on me right now. I do think that it is immature of him to post his thoughts in the format of a story, but I don't want to retaliate. I have recently Private Messaged the guy so we can simply talk this out peacefully and without incident. The last thing I want is to have people spamming the archives; I've seen it happen in several different FF archives before, nearly removing a writer from this one as well.**

**He is, however, entitled to his opinion. In no way do I think I'm a great writer, and in no way do I strive for fame on this site. I just want to write, and if you don't like what I write, then you can have that opinion and I'll respect it. I feel obligated to thank the people that review my story for reading and sharing their thoughts and opinions. The only time I'll ever ask for a review (on this profile, not my last one where I did things differently) is when I finish a story, just to see what the thoughts and opinions are of my writing. If you don't want to review, then you don't have to. I love to see reviews, but you don't have to write one if you don't want to, I simply thank the people that do for taking time out of their day to read my story, and if people decide that they don't want to read my story, then that is their decision and I respect it.**

**But, I digress. I'm not going to retaliate, I'm just going to be the bigger person here and I'll just sort this out as best as I can on Private Messaging. Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	22. Kate and Humphrey

Humphrey turned his gaze away from the dunes and back to Kacey. She had a large grin on her face, giggling lightly. He smiled at her despite the film of tears gathering over his eyes. He nuzzled her neck fur, licking her face. She pulled him down and flipped him over so she was on top of him. She moaned from the action as they were still tied, but still continued smile largely. She began to grind herself against Humphrey, moaning as she did so. Humphrey became lost in her again as she did this, Kacey burying her face into his fur, breathing heavily as she grinded body against his own. Their bodies transferred heart to one another quickly; it felt so hot in that moment, as though they were basking beside an erupting volcano.

He felt himself climax again, his cum flowing into her. She gasped, moaning with increased volume and ecstasy. Humphrey felt her become loose around him, the tying finished. He pulled out of her, both of their parts dripping. She giggled again and brought herself up to her paws. Her eyes were half open as though she was drunk. She ran her tongue over his ear and flicked him playfully with her tail. He looked at her amusedly as she did this, knowing that she must be in a type of transfixed gaze. She began to pad away unsteadily, Humphrey following her into the dunes. He got a mischievous grin on his face and he leapt on to her, slamming her to the sand. She growled in happiness and rolled over, the two tumbling down the dune to the sand below. When they landed, she was lying on her belly, Humphrey on top of her. She grinded her rear against him again, begging for more. He mounted her and began to thrust into her again, Kacey's moaning becoming more intense as they continued on until she had another orgasm.

Again, Humphrey saw the tawny she-wolf walking away. She stopped and looked at them, tears falling from her eyes, a weak smile on her face. He looked into her beautiful amber eyes and was suddenly snapped back to reality. He looked down in horror at Kacey, pulling away from her. She looked at him, surprised. Humphrey couldn't believe what he'd done; they had only known each other for over a moon and he mated with her? What in the world was he thinking?

That was just it; he wasn't thinking. He wasn't in control of his actions at all. What he did was against his will, against his judgment. Even their kiss was against what he would have done; hell, he'd have never even done that had he been in full control. What he did was not instinct, it was not his own greed or lust; he was being controlled, and he, at that moment, despised Kacey. This wasn't right, this was horrifically wrong. They should have never done that, never! What just happened was the worst thing he'd ever had the displeasure of doing with any wolf.

He stalked away, Kacey looking after him incredulously. She scampered over to him and looked at him questioningly. The look in her eyes clearly said that she wanted to mate with him again, but Humphrey didn't. He never wanted to so much as look at this abomination of a wolf ever again! He was ashamed of his actions, embarrassed that he'd ever done such a terrible thing. What would Kala think if she found out that he'd left to mate with her? What would Winston and Lily think? They were both relatives of Humphrey's true mate, meaning that they'd hate him for what he'd done with her! What would _Kate_ think?

That's when he realized that Kate was the she-wolf he'd seen in the dunes. She had watched Kacey and Humphrey mate, and she had cried. Humphrey had betrayed her; he had done the very thing he despised. He took Kate's trust and he tarnished it by mating with the whorish she-wolf. He wanted to kill himself for what he'd done! He had wronged his one true love and mated with Kacey, and now she didn't want anything to do with Humphrey.

Kacey, however, did not understand this. She looked desperately at Humphrey, whimpering for him to stop walking away and spend time with her. No, this was not something he could do. He had to talk with Kate; he had to stop her from leaving him forever. He had to apologize, to gain retribution for his hateful actions. Kacey slammed him to the ground and looked into his eyes, pleading with him to stay. Humphrey growled threateningly at her and kicked her in the belly, knocking her away. She landed sprawled in the sand. She looked at Humphrey, her eyes bearing hurt.

Humphrey didn't care. He growled at her warningly. He wanted her to stay away, and he never wanted to look at the slut ever again. Tears fell from her eyes and she turned tail, bolting away. He snorted in contempt, not caring about her. She should have never been part of their pack; he should have killed her when he had the chance. Now, he was bound to her in a way that he didn't wish to be bound to any other wolf. He had sworn undying loyalty to Kate, and he had broken the pact with her. He had mated with another wolf. How would Kate ever forgive him?

He ran after her, over the dunes and through the sand. He scrambled up the sides of the dunes, sand flying back from his wake as he pursued his mate. He ran over the sand until he arrived at a clearing of sand. In the center of the clearing sat the tawny form of his mate. He gulped and walked down. Her head was bent over, her body convulsed as she cried to herself quietly. Humphrey padded up until he was less than a tail's length from her.

"Kate?" He asked.

**Kala**

Scourge slammed Kala to the ground again. She picked herself up achingly, growling in frustration. The black wolf had told her that they were going to try fighting for real (without the use of fangs or claws, of course) and he proved to be quite superior to her lackluster skillset. He growled at her as she got back to her paws. She glared at him and pulled her lips back to snarl at him. He returned the snarl and Kala lunged, lashing out at his legs.

Unfortunately, he was prepared for this attack and leapt over her. He quickly doubled back and grabbed her by the scruff. She dug her claws into the ground, but it did nothing to help her. He tossed her away, her back slamming into the rock face of the mountain. She groaned in pain and seethed. This was how their training had been for well over two hours. She had only just perfected the techniques he'd taught her, but now he was making a point that she prove she had retained the knowledge he'd taught her in actual combat. Despite Scourge's insistence that he had not fought in a while and needed to refresh his skills, he was quite forceful and violent with her.

He swung a paw at her, but she dodged and tried to bat at his face. Before she could, however, he had bowled her over. She hit the ground hard and he hit her across the head. He growled and walked away, pacing as she struggled to get up. She spit up saliva to the ground, tears beginning to well in her eyes. She glared at him and unsheathed her claws. She didn't care about the rule anymore; she wanted nothing more than to make Scourge feel the same pain she was feeling from his constant 'training.'

She leapt at him, screaming. She dug her claws into his flank, pulling them down. He snarled in fury and he bit deep into her tail. She yelped and pulled away as he sank his fangs into her tail. She cried and whimpered, begging him to let her go. He obliged, but not before grabbing her scruff again and slamming her into the mountain face again. She fell to her belly, crying. Her ears were flat against her skull, her tail beginning to bleed. She curled up in a tight ball and hugged her tail, licking the blood away as she cried. Scourge growled at her from across the rock clearing.

"Get up!" Scourge snarled. "Crying like a pup begging for milk won't get you anywhere!"

"Neither will fighting you!" Kala retorted hotly. She continued to sob and clutched her numb tail. Scourge growled and padded away, lying down, facing away from her as she cried to herself. "I hate you!" Kala yelled.

"Good," Scourge grunted. "I want you to hate me. Strong emotions mean that you're more aggressive in combat. Love, hate, jealousy, fear, pain-they're emotions that you should use to your advantage. If you're not careful, though, you'll just make a foolish move and end up getting yourself killed." She growled at him and turned away, refusing to associate with the wolf. She knew that Scourge meant well, but he was not necessarily doing well.

Kala looked up and saw the Dark Wolf from her nightmare approaching her. She growled at him, but the Dark Wolf ignored her. He placed a paw on her forehead and suddenly, all of pain left her body. She felt new, refreshed, energized. She looked at her tail and saw that there was no sign that Scourge had even bit her. She looked up at the Dark Wolf thankfully. He grinned.

_Young Pup,_ he said in a grating, telepathic voice. She felt his presence brush against her conscience, almost as though he was physically in her head. _I have watched you these past hours. I would very much be amused to see Nicholas get his ass whipped if you know what I mean._ She grinned and glared at Scourge evilly. He was oblivious to their conversation. She rose to her paws, noticing that her movements were muffled, silenced completely. She bore her fangs, pulling back her ears and crouching down, silently stalking him.

He was not aware of her behind him, completely unbeknownst to her actions. She leapt at the right moment, slamming him to the ground. He was caught off guard, looking about in surprise and alarm. Before he could react, Kala bit into his scruff and beat his head with her hind paws, kicking madly like a jackal. He growled and bucked, trying to throw her off. She held fast and yanked him to the left until he fell to his side. Kala pounced on him as he crashed and began to hit him repeatedly across the muzzle. She screamed angrily, punching him more and more. Blood began to fall from unintentional cuts on his face. Finally, he kicked her off, coughing heavily on the ground. Kala stood ready, both prepared for the offensive and defensive attacks required when he made his next move. What he did, however, was unexpected.

He looked at her, a peculiar, proud gleam in his eyes. He smiled widely at her and dipped his head in acknowledgement. He padded peacefully towards her and touched her forehead with his nose. She looked at him in surprise, her eyes widening as she dropped her guard. He sat down slowly, achingly.

"Good," he congratulated her gruffly. "Very, very good; you may become a fighter yet, pup."

"I'm not a pup," she growled defiantly. "I'm a wolf." He chuckled, looking down at her, impressed with her boastful response.

"So you are," he observed. "But compared to me, you're always going to be a pup. Just don't expect Sam's help the next time you're in a fight."

"Who's Sam?" She asked him.

"The Dark Wolf that healed you," he replied. She was surprised by this.

"You knew I was coming behind you," she muttered meekly. "You just let me win."

"No, he kept your scent stale and your movements silent," he corrected her. "I didn't know you were coming, and you rightfully succeeded in this fight."

"If you didn't know I was coming, then how did you know that the Dark Wolf-err, I mean, 'Sam,' helped me?"

"I've never seen anyone heal within seconds save for when he's around," Scourge replied. "I'll see if he can tend to my wounds, too. Come on, pup; let's go. I think that's enough training for a couple days." She grinned triumphantly as she allowed him to lead her back to the rest of the wolves.

**Humphrey**

Kate looked back at him, startled. Tears flowed down her face, long, dark streaks on her fur clearly visible. She glowed faintly; he knew that she was not there, at least not physically. She was but an apparition, not really there but yet there at the same time. He looked at her, his eyes wide and expressing clearly his regret for his actions. Kate turned around and faced him, their eyes locking. For what felt like days, they sat there, staring intently at one another. Despite the feel of days passing, they were only sitting there for several minutes.

She tentatively padded up to him, unsure as to how he would react. Humphrey was nervous, but he padded up to her as well. The two met in the clearing center, the two mere inches from one another. They didn't breathe, they didn't move, and they didn't say a word to one another. They simply stared at one another, unable to figure out how to act. She took a shaky breath and blinked at him, her ghostly tail moving back and forth slightly. It was a movement that was nearly unnoticeable, yet was clearly a weak wag of her tail. He flashed her with his trademark smile and she grinned in return.

Without warning, she slammed into his chest, embracing him. He returned the warm embrace, surprised that he could actually feel her as though she was actually there. His relief to have her back again, however, far rivaled his shock that she was actual, solid matter. She buried her face in his chest and they wordlessly sat there, holding one another tightly. She exhaled, pulling away from him gently. He looked at her and licked her face. She giggled in delight and smiled warmly at him. Oh, how he had missed that smile!

"Kate," he whispered.

"Humphrey," she replied. He was at a loss for words, unable to speak for an unknown reason. He was stunned and surprised that she was even able to talk with him. He loved her; oh, he loved her!

"Kate, I'm so, so sorry," he apologized, tears falling from his eyes. "I'm sorry Kate, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"What are you sorry for?" She asked him curiously.

"For everything!" He sobbed. "For our pups, our pack, for what I did to you…what I did with that bitch she-wolf!"

"It's not your fault, Humphrey," she said with a light laugh. "You don't have to be sorry for anything. Fenrisúlfur decided what fate had befallen us. You had no say in what happened to us; you're a good wolf, Humphrey."

"How can you say that I'm a good wolf?" Humphrey cried. "I betrayed you! We mated for life and I betrayed you!"

"No, you weren't in control of what you did, Humphrey," Kate told him nervously. "I was." He looked at her in shock, unable to speak.

"What?" Humphrey asked her.

"I had you mate with Kacey," she told him, looking away. "I took control of you for a while so you could do that. Just as I took control of Kacey's instincts so she would approach the pack. I sent her to you, and I had you mate with her."

"Why?" He questioned, aghast at her actions. "We mated for life, Kate! I was loyal to you, I still am! Why would you want me to mate with her?"

"Wolves mate for life, Humphrey," Kate reaffirmed. "That's exactly why I had you mate with Kacey. I shaped your future so you could be happy. You and Kala deserve to have her with you; she'll be your new mate, and she'll be the mother of Kala and your new pups."

"No, that won't happen!" Humphrey snarled. "I'm loyal to you and only you! I won't let her get in the way of that! Besides, I sent her away! I'm never going to love her, I can't! I can't let go of you, Kate!"

"You must, my love," she murmured, smiling warmly. "I love you, Humphrey, and I want you to be happy. Kacey will not have pups now; you'll have to mate again in the spring when she is in heat. Humphrey, please, you must understand that I'll love you forever, and I'll wait for you until the end of time."

"Kate, I-I can't," he said, defeated. "I can't divide my loyalties. When we die, I want to be with you. How will I do that if I'm with Kacey?"

"I can't explain, not in a way that you'll understand," she told him. "It'll work out, Humphrey; I've met wolves in the ranks of Fenrisúlfur that have done just that and made it work. You'll understand when your time comes, Humphrey. I want you to be happy, and I want Kala to be happy as well. You two don't deserve to be alone forever. You two need what I can't provide, something that Kacey can. Humphrey, we'll be whole soon. You and me. We'll be one again, my love. For now, you have to go to her. Please, Humphrey; do it for me."

"Kate, wait!" Humphrey said as she began to walk away. "I can't let you leave, not now! All I've seen of you is the demons that are haunting me! Please, I need to talk to you! I need you, Kate!"

"I know," she said with a smile. She ran her tail underneath Humphrey's chin. "You'll have to face your demons soon, Humphrey; then, and only then, can we be whole. Listen to your heart and follow your dreams. We will be together again, Humphrey. I will come to you when I get the chance, but for now, I must go."

"Please, Kate…" Humphrey pleaded.

"I love you, Humphrey," Kate whispered. "May Fenrisúlfur guide you." She disappeared, leaving Humphrey alone in the clearing. His heart was heavy, but he knew that she was right. He had to go to Kacey and do what had to be done. Still, as he walked back to begin his search, he realized that she wished Fenrisúlfur to guide him. He knew who Fenrir was, but who was Fenrisúlfur?

**A/N: Well, this was a pretty important chapter! Thanks for reading it! Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, the dark shadow, and LoyalWolfHumphrey for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	23. Talk of Love

Kacey lied down beside the water's edge, meekly tracing a claw through the water. She watched glumly as her claw left small wakes in the water, the tiny waves rippling across the liquid surface. She sighed deeply, wishing that all of the events of the previous hour could have been erased; she wished that she could take back everything she and Humphrey had done, to have made the events never occur. What was she thinking? She hardly knew him and they'd mated not once, but twice in the same night! She had even attempted a third round of their intercourse!

She cursed herself for her stupidity, looking angrily at her reflection in the water. She scowled and bat at the water, causing her reflection to dissipate in the waves. Water got in her eyes and she blinked the droplets away madly. She growled in frustration and slammed her paw to the ground. She had been given the chance, the esteemed opportunity, to have a chance at love and she blew it! She had been despised by her pack and lived as a lone wolf for seven months. Then, she finally met a wolf that could have possibly been her mate and she went ahead and screwed everything up!

_Humphrey probably thinks that I'm a whore,_ Kacey thought to herself bitterly. And why shouldn't he? After all, the two barely knew each other and they'd already mated on a mission that was originally meant for scouting the area ahead. What would Kala think of their actions? Would she even accept Kacey into their close-knit family? No, of course she wouldn't. Kacey didn't belong with them, she didn't deserve a mate, a pack, or even a friend…she didn't deserve anyone or anything to be with her in life. She deserved nothing less more than a lonely existence of solitude and misery. She was a disgrace of a wolf! Her mother and sisters would be ashamed of her; they'd disown her for her heinous actions. She didn't even want to think about how Humphrey felt about the ordeal; he probably saw it as the worst atrocity he'd ever committed! He was already mated with Kate, and he was indefinitely loyal to her!

But no, she'd barged in on their life and decided to be the whorish, seductive she-wolf that she had proven herself to be. She was no better than her bastard father; she wanted nothing more now than to die. What was her purpose in life if this was what she had proved herself to be? Was this the real her? In an instant, in a brief moment, she'd proven to herself and to Humphrey who and what she truly was. But was this the real her, or was she simply obsessed with this charming Leader Wolf that she couldn't contain herself? Whatever the case, he was gone now. He'd cast her away, rejecting the feelings she had for him. Selfishly, she even hated Humphrey. He'd told her that he was in love with her as well, but he'd most obviously lied. She felt sick to her core, her heart aching and her head beating hard with a terrible intensity. Was this the feeling of having a broken heart? Was this the feeling she was destined to be plagued with forevermore?

She stared at her reflection in the water and bashed it again and again, hating herself. She hated her life! Why did everything always have to turn to shit in her life? She had had her chance at happiness, and she had eliminated any chance of acquiring the bright future she'd so desired for countless moons. She began to cry piteously into the water, letting out her feelings of misery, distress, and self-worthlessness out of her heart. She cried and cried until her tears would flow no longer. She growled at herself, angered that she had let herself cry. She was a grown wolf, and now she was letting herself become so weak? No, she couldn't allow this to continue; she had to harden her heart, for she was to live alone and she needed to practice the act of solitude. This was how she would live for the rest of her life until Fenrir found it within his kind heart to relinquish her pain and end her life. From what she'd done, however, she'd be shocked if Fenrir decided to be merciful and kill her sooner rather than later.

Suddenly, she saw another figure join her in the watery reflection. She didn't move, her eyes widening, unable to tell if it was a true or not. She saw the grey, scarred wolf that was Humphrey sit beside her. His amazing ice blue eyes shown in the water majestically, her dark pink eyes brightening as she saw his. She took a deep breath and turned to look at him. Kacey and Humphrey stood there for a long while, looking into each other's eyes.

"We need to talk, Kacey," Humphrey said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. His voice was ragged and she could tell that he'd wept from his tone. She nodded, unspeaking in case she said something else that would ruin any chances of peace with Humphrey. "We shouldn't have mated. It wasn't right for us to do that."

"I know," she murmured sullenly. "I'm sorry, Humphrey."

"Why are you sorry?" He asked her inquisitively. She looked up at him, surprised that he'd ask her that question. Why would she not be sorry?

"For making you mad," she replied. "For displeasing you, wronging you, for loving you…" He padded up to her and nuzzled the side of her face affectionately.

She savored his caring touch, not daring to move. He pulled away and pressed his nose to hers. Their eyes locked and she became lost in the glorious depths of his mind. She felt as though she was infinite, the luckiest she-wolf to live in the world. Still, she did not let her hopes get the better of her.

They stared at each other for a long while until Humphrey broke the kiss with her. She blinked longingly, her heart aching for him. How could he be so close yet be so far from her? She looked away, abashed. He was an amazing wolf, one that she was quite obviously not worthy of being with.

"I'm not mad," he whispered to her gently. "You never wronged me, and you certainly weren't displeasing. I meant what I said to you, Kacey; I do love you…but…"

"But you still love Kate," Kacey finished, her voice barely a whisper. "I understand, Humphrey. I can't make you stop loving her, and I don't want you to stop. I'll just be leaving…tell Kala that she taught me a lot and…I'll miss her." She smiled sadly to him and began to walk away. Humphrey padded after her, staying closely with her. She turned around, unsure as to what he was doing.

"I love Kate, and I'm never going to stop loving her," he said. "But…she sent you to me. I ran off because I could see her, and I talked with her. She led you to my pack with the intention of us being together, but I was already falling for you before I knew that she choreographed all of this. Kala loves you, too; you're her best friend in the pack and if you leave, it'll kill her…and it'll kill me." She looked at him, listening to his words.

"Kacey, you're beautiful, kind, smart, and you reignited something in me…something that I haven't felt since Kate and I first met. You make me feel like there's something worth living for in this world, and I can't be more grateful for you being with us. I want to be with you, Kacey; I want more than anything to be with you right now, and I think you'd be a perfect mate and mother." She began to smile, her eyes beginning to water. She blinked away the tears, refusing to let them fall.

"I think, though, that we should take things a bit-well, slower," he said. She nodded in understanding and agreement. "I don't think I'm quite ready to be mates with you yet; I want to be, but…it's too soon. What happened with Kate was only a few moons ago and I'm not sure that the rest of the pack fully accepts you as of now. I think we should be…friends, for now. No mating, kissing, or declarations of love anymore. Not for a while, at least. I just think we should take it slower this time."

"Yeah, I think you're right," she replied, nodding. "I think I can agree with that."

"So, can we start over?" Humphrey asked. She looked at him, considering the proposition. She smiled and slowly nodded in agreement.

"I'd like that," she replied.

"Well," he said with a friendly smile. "I think I've had enough of these dunes; what do you say we head back to the pack?"

"I say that's a great idea," she replied, flashing him a friendly smile.

**A/N: Short chapter, I know, but once again, pretty significant. It doesn't matter how long the chapter is, I always want the chapters to be significant to the story in the series' entirety or the immediate book at hand (or paw). Thanks to the dark shadow and The Lonely Blitz for reviewing my last chapter! Be prepared: next chapter will be VERY long, possibly anywhere between 5000-7000 words total. Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	24. The Next Step Forward

Kala padded after Scourge to the high ledge about halfway up the mountain. The pack was residing on the ledge, a large caribou lying in the center of the ledge. They looked at it hungrily, their limbs aching and exhaustion wearing down on them. The wolves all converged on the caribou, digging into the carcass and eating hungrily. Lily padded over and tore a sizeable chunk from its flank, and then she padded back to Firetail. His leg was wrapped in reeds and cobweb. He lied down bitterly, shooting a sour look at Kala. She was tempted to smirk at the pup, but she held back from doing so.

Scourge placed a paw on the caribou's flank and pushed it back while he pulled on it, tearing a large piece from its belly. He dug into the meat, eating its delectable sustenance with gleeful pleasure. Kala dug her rear fangs into the caribou's scruff, gnashing away at the meat and weakening the sinew and muscle tissue that held it in place before tearing it away. She ravenously began to devour the chunk of meat, blood flecking her muzzle as she did so. The caribou was perhaps one of the greatest things she'd eaten since they entered the mountains; to have been deprived from eating such stupendous prey in her earlier puphood was a curse. How the rest of the pack-whom had lived on caribou as a regular diet for years-managed to cope without the caribou for over three moons was astounding to Kala. As she thought of the prey, she began to wonder what her father and Kacey were eating. They had not been seen nor heard since they left in the early morning. Kala, however, was not worried about their well-being. Kacey was a lone wolf and experienced in survival of these mountains. Humphrey was her father and a great Leader Wolf; together, those two could overcome anything in their path. She was apprehensive for their return, for they had been gone nearly a full day at this point.

Suddenly, the sky began to brighten with abruptness. The wolves looked into the sky in curiosity, immediately met with the colorful bands of lights that signaled the return of the Lights of the Traveling Spirits. Kala grinned and began to howl at the lights, the rest of the pack following suite. Scourge sat beside her and howled into the sky, the lights stretching down like colorful tendrils. They wrapped around the wolves, swirling around them and warming them as they howled. Kala ceased to howl and closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the forest. It began to disappear, the scent vanishing until it was replaced with the familiar, sweet scent of her Spirit Guide: Kate. Kala opened her eyes and was met with Kate's amber eyes staring back at her. Kala smiled and approached Kate, but she giggled and ran off. Kala ran after her mother, Kate leading her through the forest. Every time Kala lost her, Kate would appear nearby, waiting for her.

They continued to run, but Kate consistently remained out of Kala's reach. Still, she did not move further or closer to her, and whenever Kala despaired of reaching her mother, Kate would sit and wait for her. When Kala reached a certain distance, Kate would begin to run again. She led Kala through the mountains and forests, wind buffeting their fur pelts. She led her out of the mountains and back through the plains. They ran quickly and swiftly, passing the Small Grounds within mere minutes after exiting the mountains. Their speed was magnificent and tantalizing; Kala was unable to comprehend how they suddenly had the uncanny abilities to run with such grace and speed, but she did not care much; her focus was on Kate.

They continued south until Kate began to slow to a manageable trot. This time, Kala was able to reach her and walk beside her. She tried to talk, but Kate immediately brushed her tail over her mouth, silencing her. She smiled sadly at Kala and led her over hills towards the southern forest that she remembered seeing at the Small Grounds. They walked dutifully together, padding slowly towards the forest until they reached a large hill. Kala looked down and gasped in horror; the land before her was blackened and dead, massive gouges torn deep into the earth. Fire spurted ferociously from the gouges, the flora of the forest completely decimated. Kate's smile had vanished, replaced by a grim sadness as she looked over the land. Fire burnt at the far vestiges of the forest, toxic gases and smoke polluting the air. The rivers were black with hazardous, sickening materials. Charred corpses lay burning along the territory. Suddenly, wolves began to run up to the top of the hill where they were standing. Kala looked about at them, recognizing them. These were the wolves of her pack.

Scourge met them at the top of the hill, Garth carrying a small brown pup in his jaws. He padded up to Lily, her fur unkempt and ragged, hair strands falling over her violet eyes. She padded up to Garth and asked who the pup was; he replied to her, saying that his parents had been killed. Kala recognized the white markings on his tail; it was Firetail, and this was the night that the wolves left the old territory. With horror, Kala realized that she was bearing witness to the past events of Jasper Park's destruction. Kate beckoned to Kala and led her away from them. They passed a natural gorge on the side of the large hill, the battered, bloodied bodies of wolves that tried to escape lying at the bottom of its rocky depths. Kate looked at them sorrowfully, but continued to lead Kala away.

They walked along the side of a large, fire-spurting gouge in the earth. The sounds of battle in the distance began to fade as they walked, but Kala could tell that there was something wrong with her mother. There was a daunting, hallowed look in her eyes as she led Kala to a small, burnt hill. Kala could hear voices nearby, Kate's movements becoming stiff as she stubbornly led Kala up the hill. They rounded a rocky bend and beheld the sight of Humphrey. He was helping another wolf to the ground, resting her body carefully down. Kala realized that the she-wolf he was with was Kate, but another version of her. This Kate's belly was large, swollen, and she was in convulsing pain. Kala realized that she was pregnant and on the eve of giving birth, and she tried to walk over to them, but her mother stopped her in her tracks. Kala looked at her and Kate shook her head sadly, motioning for her to continue watching. She nodded and obliged diligently, overseeing the events unfold before her.

Humphrey looked at Kate and gasped-there was a metal shard lodged in her womb, blocking her entrance. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked at Kate, asking her why she didn't tell him about it earlier. She explained sorrowfully that it was due to her previous ruminations of believing that she'd be perfectly fine. Now, however, it was proven quite the opposite. Kala watched as the two argued sadly; Kate wanted Humphrey to cut the pups out of her, but Humphrey protested wishing not to. Finally, however, he placed a paw on her belly and Kala could see a tremble, a vibration emitting from the womb that shook his paw. It was one of the pups kicking desperately. Humphrey nuzzled her womb, calming down the pup. Kala remembered that-she remembered being comforted by an outside presence. It _was_ her father doing that! Then, Humphrey did the unthinkable: he cried out his apologies and tore her belly open.

Kate released a bone chilling, blood curdling scream of agony as he cut open her womb. Blood splashed out onto the rocks and Humphrey was presented with the clear, pulsating womb. He cut that open as well and plunged his muzzle inside, grabbing four small orbs that proved to be membranous seals around the pups. He bit one open, a pup revealed inside. He pressed down on its chest and belly lightly but forcefully, trying to wake it up. The pup, however, was a stillborn, dead upon birth. Kala heard sobbing from her left and looked to see her mother crying as she watched him repeat the process, each pup coming out dead save for the last one. She was a fighting force, a survivor covered in silver fur. Kala realized with shock that this was her.

He presented the pup to Kate, licking the pup's pelt to keep it warm. Kate smiled weakly at the pup and told him to leave her there. He looked at her incredulously, reeling back as though she struck him. He refused to do so, telling her he'd find a way to fix her. Kate, however, was bleeding out. He cried, telling her that they would have a future together, but Kate told him it was nothing but a forlorn dream that they could only wish for. He began to sob and nuzzled Kate's neck, the two declaring their love for one another one last time. He placed a paw on her bloodied flank and looked down at her, tears running down his face. Then, he screamed one last apology…and he tore the Life Blood from her throat. Kala's heart lurched and a strangled sob broke from her. Kate died within milliseconds after he'd tore her life away, feeling no pain whatsoever. Humphrey collapsed on to her, crying uncontrollably into her fur.

Her mother prodded her carefully and Kala looked back up to her. She pressed her nose to her forehead lightly and the world changed before their eyes. The wolves disappeared, the gouges reforming into solid land. The flora and fauna returned in their individual majesties, the golden sunlight warming the forest from above. Kate led her through the forest, the world becoming something completely new and different than what it had been moments ago. They approached a cliff edge, looking out over a massive, beautiful valley. A large group of wolves circled in the center of the valley. Kate leapt down and Kala followed, the two walking over to the wolves. They howled a mournful requiem to the sky, Humphrey's voice rising from the middle of the group.

They padded into the circle and saw Humphrey sitting beside the battered body of Kate as her mother looked as her Spirit Guide now. The wolves thought she was dead, but in truth, she was merely unconscious. Kala recalled the story from Winston of this event; and what happened in the story happened word for word in the reality. Her eyes slowly opened and she groaned in pain. Humphrey looked down at her, surprised, elated, and relieved that she was fine. He helped her up and the two watched the exchange of words between the two.

"Is everyone staring at us?" Kate asked him curiously.

"Well, ah, not everyone, no," Humphrey replied, looking around at the wolves around them. Then, he broke out into a large grin and looked back at her. "Actually yeah, yeah they are." Kala was surprised to see her father like this; she'd never seen him in such a happy, upbeat attitude. That part of him must have died with her mother…

"Oh, darn!" Kate sighed, smiling at him wryly. "I wanted us to be alone so I could tell you something." She leaned in close to his ear and began to whisper into it, declaring her love for him. His tail began to wag furiously, a large grin spreading across his face.

"Really?" He asked her. She smiled and nodded at him in loving confirmation. Then, Humphrey smiled and said, "Well, I have something to tell you, too." He leaned in and whispered his declaration of love to her, Kate giggling happily and her tail wagging furiously.

Before Kala could see what happened next, the wolves disappeared and the forest returned to what it had been when the two arrived: a dilapidated, blackened shell of its former majestic appearance. Kate looked down at the soot-covered ground sadly. Kala sat beside her mother, looking up at her in curiosity.

"Why did you show me this?" Kala asked her. Kate looked down at her, her amber eyes watery, hiding behind a film of tears.

"I wanted to show you a happy memory," Kate replied. "But if you're referring to what happened on the hill, I felt it necessary to spare your father the hurt of telling you how I died. You would find out sooner or later, and I wanted to show you so you could understand why he had to do what he did."

"I can't believe he had to do that," Kala said, her heart heavy and her head pounding. "I can't believe that any wolf would ever have to do something so terrible."

"He did what had to be done," Kate said hollowly. "It was the most difficult choice of his life, and he has to live with that decision for as long as he lives. There was, however, another reason I showed you that memory." She looked at Kate in interest, a questioning look in her eyes. "I sent Kacey to the pack so you three could be a family. You deserve better than to be motherless, and Kacey is the wolf I chose that I felt was a suitable replacement in my indefinite absence."

"Mom," Kala whimpered. "No one can ever replace you." Kate smiled meekly. She turned and plucked a violet flower from the ground. She padded up to her daughter and placed it in her fur, admiring Kala.

"Thank you, Kala," she whispered. "But I want you and Humphrey to be happy since I'm gone. This doesn't mean, however, that when Humphrey and Kacey become mates that I'll leave you two. I'll always be with you, my daughter."

"I love you, mom," Kala said, pressing herself to her mother. Kate nuzzled her affectionately.

"I love you, too, Kala," Kate whispered lovingly into her ear. "May Fenrisúlfur guide you."

**Humphrey**

Humphrey and Kacey padded out of the mountains slowly, the rock wearing down on their paw pads as they continued on. They had talked for a long time after they left the dunes, far more than they had ever talked before. Kacey was happy to finally have someone to talk to, for she had never attained that luxury in her last pack, much less when she became a lone wolf. She was able to open up and reveal things about herself that she'd never told anyone before, things that she was worried about, scared of, liked to do, et cetera et cetera.

For the most part, Humphrey liked the ability to talk to her as well. It seemed like an eternity since he'd truly just talked with someone, and her company was welcome on their journey back home. He neglected to tell her what his true intentions were when coming on this 'scouting run' journey; she didn't need to know that he was planning on killing her. As they walked, Humphrey learned more and more about the young she-wolf until he felt as though he'd known her his whole life. She seemed to be far more apt to revealing things about herself than Kate ever was, and in comparison made Kate seem like a complete stranger to him.

Kacey was approximately two years, eight seven months, and seventeen days of age. She was surprised to hear that he was the age of three years, five months, and three days, thinking that he was at the oldest, three years standard. He certainly did not look as though he was almost halfway through his third year of life, but Humphrey was not at all surprised that she wasn't yet three years old. Her personality, infinite energy, and upbeat nature revealed enough about her true age. They took the long way around the mountains, walking back towards the pack.

Ahead, Humphrey could see the Lights of the Traveling Spirits drifting about in the sky. He smiled when he heard the faint howling of his pack, knowing that they would all be talking to their friends and loved ones.

Suddenly, a part of the ground near them illuminated as the lights touched down in front of them. Colors swirled around the two wolves until they drifted several meters from them. They watched as the lights began to form a shape, the shape glowing gold and white in the center. Humphrey's heart lurched as he realized that the lights were forming into the apparition of Kate. The lights began to fade and dissipate as Kate fully formed. She padded slowly towards them, smiling kindly at Kacey and lovingly at Humphrey. Kacey watched her skeptically, unable to figure out who she was.

Kate walked up to Humphrey and nuzzled him. Humphrey returned the affectionate gesture and licked her ear. She giggled and they looked at each other lovingly. Kacey glared at her, giving Kate a hard stare as she gave into jealousy. Kate turned to look at Kacey and sat down beside Humphrey. Suddenly, Kacey made the connection between the two, realizing that Kala looked just like them. Her ears flattened in shame and embarrassment when she realized just who she was being hostile towards and apologized to Kate. She laughed and padded to Kacey, whispering into her ear. Humphrey knew not what they said, but Kacey smiled from ear to ear and her tail wagged. The two she-wolves giggled as they conversed and Kate placed her paw on Kacey's chest. She smiled at her and then smiled at Humphrey before disappearing.

Kacey looked back at Humphrey, noticing his smile fade as she left. Kacey frowned when she saw him look so defeated and torn up. She padded up to him and nuzzled his flank. He looked down at her and gave a sad, weak smile. He rested his chin on her head in embrace, the two sitting together for a while before pulling away.

"So," he asked. "What did you two talk about?"

"Oh, nothing," Kacey replied, slyly. "She said you should have a good idea already." Humphrey smiled, chuckling. They walked forward, but Kacey stopped. Humphrey looked back at her and she explained. "Did you howl requiem for her?" Humphrey looked away.

"No," he replied. "I never got the chance." She padded up to him and sat next to him.

"Well, how about we do that now," she said with a smile.

"You'd do that?" Humphrey asked her, surprised. "You hardly know anything about Kate."

"Well, she seems to like me, and we both really care about you," she said, winking at him with her last statement. "So of course; come on, Humph; let's howl for her!" He smiled and they tilted back their heads, howling mournfully for Kate. Humphrey let out his heart to her, expressing his pain and suffering that he'd experienced without her with him. He realized mid-howl that Kacey's howl perfectly supplemented his own, their howls matching near perfectly.

He smiled and continued howling with her until their howling turned into something more than a requiem. They howled into the stars, their hearts conjoining in a glorious, passionate howl. They began to sing to the sky, their hearts expanding and their minds meeting. They were whole, they were one.

**Do you think about**

**Everything you've been through?**

**You never thought you'd be so depressed**

**Are you wondering**

**Is it life or death?**

**Do you think that there's no one like you?**

**We are**

**We are**

**We are**

**We are the ones!**

**We get knocked down!**

**We get back up and stand above the crowd!**

**We are one!**

**We are the ones!**

**We get knocked down!**

**We get back up and stand above the crowd!**

**We are one!**

**The life I think about**

**Is so much better than this**

**I never thought I'd be stuck in this mess**

**I'm sick of wondering**

**Is it life or death?**

**I need to figure out who's behind me**

**We are**

**We are**

**We are**

**We are the ones!**

**We get knocked down!**

**We get back up and stand above the crowd!**

**We are one!**

**We are the ones!**

**We get knocked down!**

**We get back up and stand above the crowd!**

**We are one!**

**The life I think about**

**Is so much better than this**

**I never thought I'd be stuck in this mess**

**I'm sick of wondering**

**Is it life or death?**

**We are the ones!**

**We get knocked down!**

**We get back up and stand above the crowd!**

**We are one!**

**We are the ones!**

**We get knocked down!**

**We get back up and stand above the crowd!**

**We are one!**

**We stand above the crowd**

**We stand above the crowd**

**We stand above the crowd (Crowd)**

**(We stand) We stand above the crowd**

**We stand above the crowd (We Stand)**

**We stand above the crowd**

**(We are the ones) We stand above the crowd**

**(We get knocked down get back up) We stand above the crowd**

**(We are the ones) We stand above the crowd**

**(We get knocked down get back up) We stand above the crowd**

**We stand above the crowd**

**We stand above the crowd**

**We stand above the crowd**

They ended their howl, Kacey smiling at him, Humphrey returning the smile. He nuzzled her cheek and the two wolves lied down together. They pressed their bodies together, the warmth of the two shared as they slept peacefully together.

**Kala**

Kala awoke that morning with the flower still in her fur. She smiled, thanking her mom silently for the gift. She stood to her paws and arched her back, yawning. She blinked sleepiness from her eyes and looked about. Most of the wolves were asleep, but Scourge was sitting on the far end of the ledge, looking out over the mountains where Humphrey and Kacey had gone. Kala padded up to him and sat down, the two silently sitting next to one another.

"Who's Fenrisúlfur?" Kala asked him abruptly. She knew not exactly why she asked, but she had to know. Her mother always wished Fenrisúlfur to guide her when they met, but Kala had never heard of this 'Fenrisúlfur' before. Scourge looked at her strangely, asking her to repeat the question. "Fenrisúlfur; who is he?"

"He?" Scourge asked. He chuckled. "Fenrisúlfur's not a he, it's a _she_."

"Okay," Kala said. "Then who is she?"

"She," Scourge explained, taking a breath, readying himself for a long explanation. "Is the mate of the Wolf God, Fenrir, making her the Wolf Goddess."

"Wolf Goddess?" Kala asked inquisitively. "I've never heard of a Goddess before,"

"I'm not surprised," Scourge grunted. "Very few wolves actually hear of her, much less know the significance of her name. When they hear the first part of her name, they immediately think that it's just another way of saying Fenrir, when in truth, they are two very different wolves."

"If she's not widely known, then how do you know about her?"

"My Spirit Guide told me," he replied. "I wasn't familiar with her either, but my Spirit Guide told me who she was. Ever since, I've been wondering why she's not well known and what her purpose is with Fenrir. I guess we'll find out sooner or later…I hope." She nodded and they looked out over the mountains.

Kala looked down and saw two wolves approaching them. She leapt to her paws, a large grin on her face. Scourge smiled at her as she ran down to meet her father and Kacey. Humphrey ran ahead to meet her, embracing her in a tight hug. Kala was glad to see them home, but was perplexed as to why they were back so soon. Nevertheless, she was glad that they were back and safe. As they walked up the ledge, the wolves began to wake up and greet Humphrey and Kacey. Kala noticed something between the two wolves-something had happened while they were gone, something that changed them. They were…closer, Humphrey acting less hostile towards her. She wondered what had happened, but decided to ask him later.

He was happy to be back with the pack, happier than Kala had ever seen him before. In fact, the only time she'd seen him this happy was in the vision her mother showed her the night before. Something had definitely happened over the course of their departure, and Kala was very interested to find out just what that was.

"The ocean isn't far," Humphrey told them. "It's a simple day-walk from here, and if need be, we can extend it to two and rest along the way."

"That'll be a necessity," Lily spoke up, motioning to Firetail's broken leg. Humphrey looked at him, surprised. He still held a grudge against the pup for his actions in the plains, but was still interested in figuring out how he had been injured.

"What happened to your leg, pup?" Humphrey asked. Firetail opened his mouth to respond, but Scourge quickly interjected.

"He and Kala were play-fighting and he backed over a ledge," he said. "Kala tried to warn him, but the fool didn't listen." Firetail glared at Scourge, but didn't dare say anything. Humphrey nodded and they spent an hour to eat, ceasing their talks. Afterwards, they all began to trek forward through the mountains. The air grew cold as they walked and the temperature dropped as the season changed from autumn to the beginning of winter. The colorful trees were beginning to shed their leaves, becoming bare, skeletal forms.

When they reached a large, circular valley, Humphrey and Kacey diverted their course to go around the mountains. The pack was interested as to why they did this, but didn't argue for the most part. Firetail, however, was quite angered by his prolonging their journey. Kala hushed him with a growl and a low threat to break his other three legs. He gulped and shut his mouth; Scourge had seen the exchange and laughed.

He walked up to Humphrey and the two began to talk quietly amongst themselves.

"Scourge, do you mind if I ask you something?" Humphrey asked.

"Not at all, sir," Scourge replied. "I think we've gotten to know each other well enough over these past moons to be able to trust one another."

"Right, well, I wanted to ask you how long it took you to get over Collette," Scourge shot a glare at him, ready to question him.

"Let me guess: Sam showed you that memory, right?" Humphrey nodded in confirmation. Scourge seethed. "That bastard; if I wanted people to see my personal life, then I'd write it everywhere I went."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your life, Scourge," Humphrey apologized sincerely. He grunted, shaking his head.

"It's not your fault, I just wish that Sam consulted me before he showed you those memories," Scourge said with a sigh. "Just don't start calling me Nick; I'm not quite ready to face my past again."

"I understand," Humphrey said.

"Alright; so why do you want to know?"

"It's Kacey," he replied. "I think that I'm starting to develop…strong feelings for her, but I feel like I'm betraying Kate by doing so."

"I can understand that," Scourge said. "I didn't so much as look at another she-wolf for moons after my pack was destroyed. You're not the only one, bro; in the long run, though, you have to make the decision on what you'd rather do: be happy with someone you care about and take condolence in the fact that you might get the chance to see your mate again, or you can live a bitter, hollow life where you're haunted by her. I let go of Collette after nine moons, but I should have learned to do it far earlier. If you're having feelings for the lone wolf, then it means you should go for her. Don't let yourself be empty inside, Humphrey. You and Kala deserve better than that, and this is your chance at having the life you were denied."

"I guess you're right," Humphrey murmured. "Thanks for the talk, Scourge."

"Anytime, Humphrey," he replied.

At the end of the day, they had come to rest nearly at the other end of the vast valley. Had Firetail's leg not been broken, they could have easily reached the ocean before sunset. They did, however, allow themselves the luxury of rest. The next morning, they set off for the ocean, the sun beginning to rise into the sky. It was less than three hours before noon, and the salty scent of the ocean greeted them fully as they treaded through the dunes.

Humphrey deliberately diverted their paths from anywhere he and Kacey had been, not yet wishing for anyone to know of their mutual relationship. Kala was bustling with excitement and she bounded up to Humphrey when she began to hear the crashing of waves just over the next rise. She grinned at him and Humphrey knew exactly what she wanted to do. He bolted off before she could, Kala calling back at him for cheating. He laughed and they two raced through the dunes until they reached the massive rise, looking out over the vast, endless ocean. Kala's eyes widened in awe at the amazing sight, but that didn't mean she was going to stop her race!

She ran over the beach and on top of a large rocky bridge that jutted out from the beach and extended over two hundred meters into the ocean. The waves crashed on the sides of the slick rock, Kala skidding to a halt at the end. The wind buffeted her fur, the frigid water spraying small droplets of water around her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scents of the ocean, Humphrey coming to a rest beside her.

"We shouldn't be this far out," he warned. "It could be dangerous out here." Kala chuckled.

"You worry too much, Dad," she told him. "Come on, let's go for a swimming race!"

"I don't know," he said hesitantly. "Those waves could take us under; I don't want to risk it, Kala."

"What's life without risks, though?" She asked. He sighed; she had indefinitely inherited her mother's stubbornness, but also her courage when faced with situations such as this. _If only,_ he thought. _She had inherited her sense of safety._ She grinned slyly at him and leapt into the ocean. Humphrey called after her, but she was swimming away, smiling. "Come on, Dad! You're losing already!" Humphrey smiled, shaking his head, and leapt in after her.

The water was freezing beyond anything he'd ever experienced before, but it cooled his body and refreshed him almost immediately. He paddled after her the waves crashing over their heads pushing them to shore. Kala, however, had figured out a way to ride with the surf and let it carry her to the shore quickly. She reached the beach quickly and shook herself dry. Humphrey waded out of the water and shook himself as well, the two grinning at each other widely.

The rest of the pack padded over the dunes and stared out at the magnificent sight of the ocean. Winston was panting hard, his aching limbs wearing his old body down. Humphrey splashed him with water, Winston reeling in shock of the cold water. When he saw Humphrey's playful smile, he grinned and padded into the water. Without warning, he leapt upward and belly-slammed into the water, splashing Humphrey with far more water than he'd splashed Winston. He sputtered out the salty liquid, Winston smiling.

Kala rolled on her back, howling with gleeful laughter from the actions of her grandfather. The wolves began to play in the ocean and run along the beach. Kacey sat alone, segregated from the rest of the pack. Humphrey motioned towards her and she nodded, smiling. She began to talk to Kacey, distracting her. Humphrey snuck up behind her with a mouth full of water. She was completely unsuspecting and was shocked to have water splash on the back of her head. She whirled around and grinned at him. Humphrey bolted about as Kacey chased him, trying to get him back. Kala joined in with the two, the three of them playing with one another. Kacey succeeded in tackling Humphrey to the ground, but Humphrey rolled over, twisting himself so that he looked back at her. She rolled again so Humphrey lied on his back, Kacey on top of him. Their noses were touching. They looked at each other in surprise and quickly pulled away, looking away sheepishly. The rest of the wolves laughed at their embarrassment, Kala smiling at their actions.

Suddenly, someone yelled out from the sky. Kala looked up, but couldn't see anything. No one else seemed to have heard, so she dismissed it. When she heard it again, she looked up to see a bird flying down towards them. Humphrey looked up just in time to see the large bird fly into him, tackling him. As he did, he yelled a strange word: "MONSIEUR!"

Humphrey stood up and looked down at the fowl with a large grin.

"Marcel!" He greeted. "You-you found us!"

"You can't keep me out of the adventure for long, monsieur!" He said with a laugh. "I must say, it was very difficult to find you wolves; I began to think that you didn't make it out of Jasper!"

"Not many of us did," Humphrey replied sadly.

"Yes, it is quite unfortunate; we will mourn for them for moons, my friend," he looked at Kala and back at Humphrey. "And I presume that this is your daughter, monsieur?"

"That's right," Humphrey said, smiling at her proudly. "This is Kala." Marcel approached her and kissed her paw, Kala looking quite embarrassed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, pup," he said.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she replied. Kacey then snuck up behind Kala and dumped sand on to her back. Kala looked back at the mischievous lone wolf and chased after her, the two laughing in happiness. Marcel waddled back to Humphrey and looked after Kala.

"You have quite the pup, monsieur," he observed.

"You've got that right," Humphrey replied, chuckling. "She's a paw-full, but one of the best things that's ever happened to me."

"I can imagine," Marcel said with a smile. "She had your fur-well, for the most part, that is-yet has 'Miss Fast's' eyes. Speaking of which, where is our friendly golden misses at this time?" Humphrey looked away sorrowfully and Marcel realized that she didn't make it. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I am so, so sorry, monsieur. No living being should have to go through losing their mate."

"I had to kill her, Marcel," he whispered. He stiffened, looking sadly at the wolf. "I had to cut out the pups or they'd die; Kala was the only survivor. Kate was in so much pain…I had to…"

"You did what had to be done, monsieur, and I hope to the gods above that you never have to make such a terrible decision again. You don't deserve that kind of horror. No one does." Humphrey nodded, sighing. "There is, however, one last…complication."

"Great, what now?" Humphrey asked sarcastically.

"Well, when I went to pay my respects to Paddy, I tried to see if I could retrieve his body, you know, to give him a proper burial," Humphrey nodded in understanding, wondering just where this was going. "What I found, though, wasn't exactly what I was expecting…"

"What did you find?"

"He found me," a voice said from above. Humphrey knew that voice; that voice that plagued Marcel and Paddy with annoyance for so long. Humphrey looked behind him to see the pintail glide down behind him. Her right eye was torn out, the feathers around the eye torn out and gouged. Iris glared at Humphrey with her one remaining eye, tapping her foot on the ground in demand. "You know, I don't really like that you all just left me out of the equation. A human bullet takes out my eye and you all just leave? Come on, now; is that a way to treat a lady?"

**A/N: Well, not quite 7000 words, but close to it! Bet you weren't expecting the end there, but if you did…well, you ruined it. Just kidding :D anyway, thanks to Alexander, The Silver Wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, Dawn Walker Wolf, LoyalWolfHumphrey, MoonTrekerAF, and the dark shadow for reviewing my last chapter!**

**Next chapter might not be quite as long, but it'll be very interesting for you and really make the plotline deeper and-as if it could get this way-darker. I'll do my best to make this chapter not include tears from characters; that seems to be a reoccurring theme with this story, but hey, I appear to be succeeding at making emotional chapters considering PMs from fans and reviews that said they cried or were close to it. If I'm triggering emotional responses from readers, then I know that I'm doing my job as a writer while still being able to have a ton of fun writing this story! Well, as always, UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	25. A Dark Warning

Humphrey was shocked that Iris was actually alive. Her eye was quite literally blown off, a large, hideous gash on the side of her once pristine face. The remaining feathers around the gash were blood stained and crooked, yet she was still alive. Marcel sighed, crossing his wings and pacing about. Iris was the pintail that Paddy, Marcel's former friend and golfing caddy, had dated in the past. Marcel and Paddy found her incredibly annoying refused to have anything to do with her. When Humphrey and Scourge traveled to the Dark Heart of Jasper, Paddy was killed by a human weapon, Iris staying behind to mourn him. They had heard another crack of a human weapon as they fled, assuming that Iris had been killed as well. That, however, was apparently false.

"We thought you died," Humphrey breathed. She rolled her eye and spat at the sandy ground.

"Yeah, and I could say the same for you, too, mister Scarred-Grey-that-leaves-friends-behind-to-die!" Humphrey flinched from the force of her words, surprised that such a formerly peaceful bird could become so angered.

"We had to leave and you didn't want to come with us," Marcel pointed out blatantly. By the way he said it, it was clear that the two had gone over the conversation many times before.

"Well, luckily mister can't-shoot-for-shit didn't manage to kill me," Iris growled. Humphrey looked at Marcel, the old bird shrugging. "So when I saw Marcel fly high, high, high above, I decided to follow him, too."

"I'm surprised you let her tag along," Humphrey commented. Marcel grunted.

"I didn't have a choice," he replied glumly. "She was quite insistent on staying. I told her to leave, even tried to ditch her several times, but she always managed to find me."

"I always find the males that try to avoid me," Iris said with a dark grin. "Even the idiot golfing French, Canadian, crack-head-slow-flying geese." Humphrey looked over to Marcel, the old bird whistling in contempt. Humphrey decided to change the subject.

"So, what are you doing here, Marcel?" He asked. The bird seemed to be happy for the changed subject.

"I wanted to come with you, monsieur," he replied. "I have nothing left to do and interesting things are always happening whenever you're around. I assume you're still headed for that, ah, what was it called? Ah, yes! I assume you're still heading for the Pack of the Winter Mountains?"

"That's right," Humphrey replied. "You're welcome to join us if you want to, though it'll be winter soon."

"Well, my friend, a bird flying north for the winter isn't nearly as strange as a bird that is friends with wolves. That, or they're equal in strangeness. Either way, we aren't exactly normal companions, but I'll come with you nevertheless, monsieur."

"It'll be good to have friends along for the journey," he said with a smile. Marcel nodded and he flew off, Iris flying with him.

Humphrey assumed that they were out to get food and padded back to the rest of the pack as they continued playing along the beach. Kala and Kacey were playing in the water, splashing one another and jumping about gleefully. Humphrey smiled as he watched them. Winston lied along the shoreline, watching the rest of the wolves from the sand. Salty and Sweets padded together down the beach, talking. Garth and Lily were making something in the sand, Firetail resting several meters away. Scourge was out swimming in the ocean, enjoying himself. The rest of the wolves were playing about on the beach and shallow waters of the shoreline.

For the first time in moons, the wolves were actually having fun and enjoying themselves. Iris was alive and Marcel had returned to come along with them for their journey. Humphrey was ecstatic to know that his pack was thriving; they actually had a chance to get to the Pack of the Winter Mountains! He looked at Kacey and Kala's playing and grinned maniacally, an idea coming to mind. He snuck over to the water and sat beside it, acting as though he wasn't doing anything. Winston, however, smiled wryly as he noticed just what Humphrey was planning on doing.

When he was sure Kacey and Kala were looking in a different direction, Humphrey took a deep breath and dove underneath the water. He opened his eyes and was met with the blue world around him. Ahead, he could see Kacey and Kala's splashing. He stealthily swam forward underneath the water until he was near them. He waited and Kacey ran over him. As soon as she was over him, he splashed upward and resurfaced. She was caught on his back and he flipped her over into the water. She screamed in surprised as she landed in the water. She sat up, choking and sputtering the salt water. Then, to Humphrey's dismay, she began to cry. He padded over to her, trying to apologize to her, not meaning to hurt her.

Kacey, however, had alternative motives as to why she was 'crying.' She grinned and splashed him in the face before running off. Kala laughed as she did this and Humphrey grinned, chasing Kacey through the water. Kala ran after the two as they raced through the water, kicking up droplets into the sky. Humphrey leapt over Kacey and blocked her path. She slid to a halt and began to run in the other direction, but not before Humphrey could grab hold of her and bring her down into the water. Humphrey fell into the water, Kacey on top of him. Again, their noses touched. Humphrey grinned and suddenly, he was flattened to the water as Kala leapt on top of the two in a large wolf pile. The three laughed together and ran about in the water.

Kala leapt upon Humphrey's back and he began to swim out into the ocean, Kacey following them. The three took deep breaths and dove underneath the water, swimming about in the dark, watery seascape. Kala held on to Humphrey as he swam downward a bit. Fish swam away from them, Kala looking about in wonder. Kacey swam up to them, smiling despite her puffed out cheeks. They looked at Kacey and couldn't hold their breath any longer, laughing in the water. As soon as they began go do so, they realized how bad of an idea that was and swam up to the surface.

They gasped for air, but as soon as they regained their breath, they began to laugh hysterically together. Kacey breached the surface and looked at them sourly. She didn't like it when others laughed at her, but Humphrey quickly made her forget about their laughing when he licked her face. The salty water in her fur didn't taste particularly good, but she still grinned happily. The three wolves swam back to shore, Humphrey in the lead. This decision proved to be bad, though, as he was flattened to the ground almost immediately in a coordinated wolf pile by Kacey and Kala. They laughed together as a large wave crashed over them, soaking them with the frigid waters. They all got up and padded back to shore.

Kala began to run about the beach, Kacey chasing her. Humphrey, however, didn't join in. He sat beside Winston after shaking his fur dry. The two wolves looked at Kacey and Kala as well as the rest of the pack. Winston looked up at Humphrey and grinned.

"I see that you and Kacey are getting along fine," he mused. Humphrey grunted and nodded slightly.

"She's at least becoming trustworthy in our pack," Humphrey said.

"What about mate worthy for you?" Winston asked. Humphrey looked at him incredulously. _Winston_ was suggesting this now? Humphrey couldn't understand why he'd want that considering his loyalties bound towards Kate.

"I'm not so certain," Humphrey replied. "My loyalties still lie with Kate, sir."

"Kate would have wanted you to get a new mate, Humphrey," Winston said heavily. "I think that you and Kacey would fit well together, and she'd make a great mother for Kala as well. Just look at you three; you're doing well together and Kate would have wanted that. I know it's hard for you, just like it's hard for me having lost her and Eve, but at some point, you have to learn how to let her go."

"I'm not sure I'll ever really be able to do that, sir," Humphrey sighed. "I don't want to let her go."

"We don't want to, but sometimes, it's necessary. Just think about it for a while, son."

"You're still calling me that?" Humphrey asked, surprised. "Even after what happened?"

"You were Kate's mate," Winston said with a smile. "Just because she isn't here doesn't mean that you're not part of the family, and that goes for Kala as well. If you do see fit to become mates with Kacey, she will be accepted into the family as well." Humphrey smiled and dipped his head in silent thanks.

**Kala**

She had no idea where she was. Kala looked about but couldn't find anything that looked remotely familiar. The trees around her were shrouded in a dark mist, the mountains barely visible as grey silhouettes in the distance. She called out, but no answer was returned to her. She decided that it was better to figure out where she was rather than just sit around and do nothing, so she chose a random direction and began to walk. The sky was dark but void of stars that could guide her anywhere. If she could see the stars, then she could walk west and hope to find her pack. Unfortunately, the sky was just black; no clouds, no moon, no stars…nothing.

She felt a chill go down her spine as she padded through the trees. She could hear a raven caw in the distance, but she could not see it. She continued forward, hoping to find someone or something that could tell her where to go. Suddenly, she saw something move in the trees. She stopped and looked, but couldn't see through the mist. She looked inquisitively and slowly padded forward. She looked through the darkness, but couldn't see anything. Suddenly, a wolf leapt out at her. She reeled back in fear as the wolf stopped.

The wolf was quite overweight and had tan fur. He extended a paw to her, desperately pleading for her to help him. She backed away, but bumped into something. She whirled around to see a grey wolf with a white face, extending a paw for help. More and more wolves began to come out of the mist, extending a paw just behind the misty reaches. They continued down in a line that led through the trees. Down the path, a light appeared, forming into the shape of her Spirit Guide, Kate.

"Come with me," she said softly. Kala nodded and followed her mother slowly down the ranks of wolves. Kala looked at them nervously, the wolves disappearing as they passed them, bursting into shadowy wisps.

"Who are these wolves?" Kala asked her.

"They are the wolves that died in Jasper," she replied curtly. Kala looked about, observing the faces of wolves that her mother and father had known, that all of the survivors of Kala's pack had known. There were elders, youths, even newborn pups reaching out to her. Kala saw through the mist a dark shadow of a wolf, three smaller shapes next to the wolf.

"Who is that?" Kala whispered. Kate looked away.

"That's me," she replied. "Don't look at her, Kala; just keep moving. It's not the real me; not exactly."

"What about the other three?" Kala asked.

"They're your siblings," she said sadly. "Kala, these wolves are just apparitions; they aren't real and if you try to help them, they'll take you into the darkness with them. Don't make eye contact, do you understand?" Kala nodded, but as they walked, she could still see the shadowy forms of Kate and her pups. They rounded a bend and suddenly, they were met with the shadowy figures. Kate stiffened, diverting her course. "Kala, come on."

But Kala was transfixed on the shadows. Her eyes locked with the dark pits of the shadow. The shadow of her mother growled and leaned closer to her. The shadows enveloped Kala and the pups moved in around her. Kate told her to look away and keep following, but Kala couldn't; she was in a type of paralysis, unable to move any limb of her body. The shadow opened its maw wide, long, razor sharp fangs protruding outward. It hissed as it neared, Kala unable to move. Suddenly, Kate leapt on the shadow and tore its throat out.

"Get away from her you bitch!" Kate snarled. She killed the shadowy pups as well, Kala snapping back to the odd reality that she was stuck in. Dark blood flowed from the bodies, Kate quickly ushering Kala away. "Stay close to me, pup; I'm not going to let you be taken away by demons while I'm around."

They walked forward and broke through the forest until they were met with a large mountain. Kate began to walk upward , Kala following closely behind. The temperature was cold yet the air was still, not a sound emitting from the world around them. Icy claws jutted out from the top of the mountain, red hieroglyphics etched onto the surface of the massive ice formations. Dark whispers swarmed around the mountain, Kala unable to understand what was going on.

Kate turned to look at Kala, a frantic look in her eyes.

"Kala, you have to listen to me; I don't have much time and this is very important: remember this mountain, you will come across the key to it all! You have to stop them or world will die!"

"I don't understand!" Kala cried. "What are you talking about? What key? Who do I have to stop? MOM!"

"Help your father; he has to complete the prophecy!" Kate screamed before the world began to collapse. Kala fell off of the mountain, swallowed into the darkness. It was in that moment that she realized the worst part of nightmares: you couldn't close your eyes.

**A/N: Well, that was an intense ending to the chapter! Thanks to Alexander, Dawn Walker Wolf, the dark shadow, imjustlikehumphrey, and LoyalWolfHumphrey for reviewing my last chapter! Next chapter will be VERY intense and crazy! Yes, none of you will be able to predict what will happen next, but I promise you all that I'll be a very intense and medium-long length chapter! Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	26. The Coming Storm

_Kala awoke face down in the sand. She groaned, rising to her paws. She spat out sand as she did so, shaking her head. She had blacked out and landed here, that was certain. It made sense, after all; she hadn't recalled falling asleep or eating dinner before her nightmare. Something had caused her to faint and have that nightmare, but she had no idea what that was. She looked around, surrounded by long grass, several dead trees sparsely dotting the dunes. The sound of the ocean could be heard nearby, so Kala walked over towards the sound, figuring that she'd find everyone else if she did so._

_ Walking out of the grass, she looked about, hoping to find out where the wolves were. She saw the paw prints where she and Kacey had run about. Speaking of which, where was the she-wolf right now? If Kala had fainted, she thought for sure that Kacey would be looking for her, wouldn't she? She howled into the sky, calling out for someone. She padded about, waiting for a response. She did not hear a returning howl from anyone, nor did she see a single wolf in the area. Kala's heart clenched as she began to panic._

_ Where was she? Where was everyone else? It didn't add up, it didn't make logical sense! Finally, she saw something run down the beach towards her. It was one of the Easter wolves, Ashley. She was covered in blood, crying hysterically as she loped off. She ran past Kala, sobbing. Kala followed her, asking what was wrong. Blood flowed from a massive gash on her hind leg, blood trickling down her face from a large cut on her forehead. Kala ran after her, asking her what had happened and where everyone else was. _

_ Kala caught up to her and turned her around. Ashley looked at her and screamed. Suddenly, two bloody appendages burst from her foreleg shoulder blades. Blood flew out from her legs, the appendages growing outward, blades protruding from the ends of the appendages. She shrieked in pain and horror as her fur and skin fell from her body, revealing a hideous corpse underneath. It deformed and greyed, blood pouring from her mouth. Finally, her once-golden eyes turned black and burst, liquids flying from her eyes. Her claws and fangs grew in length. She coughed up clots of blood and muscle tissue, and then looked up at her. She released an alien scream, her voice reverberating through the air. She was no longer Ashley; she was no longer a wolf. She had turned into something else, something truly nightmarish._

_ She didn't wait for Ashley-or rather, what used to be Ashley-and she bolted in the opposite direction. The shriek came again and she could hear the creature racing after her. Kala panted heavily as it relentlessly pursued her across the beach. Desperately, she raced over the dunes, trying to lose the creature. It stumbled and slipped, but it did not give up the chase. The blade-tipped appendages began to act as two extra legs. Kala slipped, tumbling down the sand until she came to a halt at the bottom. She looked up the dune to see the creature bearing down on her. She closed her eyes, but just before it reached her, something happened. She heard a snarl as something attacked the creature and she looked up to see what was happening._

_ A blue-grey furred wolf had attacked the creature. The two rolled down the dune, the blue-grey wolf standing on top of the creature. It slashed the creature's throat, then tore its arms off and the creature slumped over, dead on the sandy ground. The blue-grey wolf was wearing shining objects on his claws and legs. They were attached to his body, acting like a metallic barrier between his legs and paws. There where white markings around his eyes and running down his muzzle. Crescents were drawn over his eyes, a long, pointed line protruding from the top of the crescents until they met in the center of his cranium._

_ He looked at her, his jade green eyes flashing. The objects attached to his claws retracted and fit together on his legs. He padded past her, into the forest. She looked after him, wondering who he was and where he was going. She looked back at the creature, its blood flowing out onto the sand. She figured her chances of survival were better with the armed and armored wolf, so she stayed by him. Despite his agility and prowess, he appeared to be less than a year or two older than she was. Kala tried to stop him and get answers, but he ignored her and continued to walk through the trees. She growled and walked after him, hoping that eventually he'd tell her what was going on and where her pack was._

_ As he led her through the forest, she began to notice something strange about the objects connected to the wolf. It was already strange enough that he was wearing the armor-like objects, but there were symbols etched into its shining silver surface, the most prominent symbol representing some kind of object; it was a type of rock or something with two points that jutted into the sky. There was writing underneath it, something that she could vaguely understand. It was the writing of the Ancients, the inscriptions reading the wolf translations of letters and words. As she was not fluent in the language, she could only pick up small parts that seemed to make odd connections in her mind. She had never seen nor heard the language before, yet there was a kind of instinctual presence that allowed her to understand bits and pieces of the inscriptions. The writing directly underneath the drawing of the object read the several letters and phrases that she didn't understand, but she picked up the first letter of the word as the ancient wolf translation of 'M' and another that read the translation for 'K.'_

_ MK? That didn't make sense to her, nor could she make any connections to existing words, names, or phrases that the letters might relate to. The rest of the inscriptions were just as vague and difficult to understand if not more, but she could make out the words 'whole,' 'mountain,' 'dire,' and a word she didn't quite understand for she had never heard of the word before; it was called 'shaman.' Her head began to pound as she fought to understand what it all meant, but she gave up her futile attempt at reading the language and simply followed the wolf._

_ They arrived in a dim clearing, the wolf stopping in the center. Kala halted, waiting for him to do something. He turned to her and stared into her eyes. She locked gazes with him and she waited for the wolf to do something. _

_ "Kala," he said. "Wake up, Kala. Wake up, now; you must wake up. Wake up, Kala; WAKE UP!"_

"KALA, WAKE UP!" Kacey screamed. Her eyes shot open and she woke up in the sand, Kacey standing over her. Kala looked about, a loud buzzing noise in the air. "Kala, come on, we have to get out of here!"

"What-what's going on?" Kala asked, still drowsy from her dreams. Kacey nervously looked back at the direction of the ocean, then back at her.

"No time to explain, just come on!" She helped Kala to her paws and the two ran to the beach. Humphrey had gathered the wolves and began to move them into the dunes towards the forest. There was a frantic, terrified look in their eyes as they moved away from the ocean. Kala looked back out, but couldn't see what was wrong-everything looked the same as it had before save for the odd noise in the sky.

Kala and Kacey joined them, Marcel and Iris flying above closely. They rushed into the confines of the forest, hunkering low to the ground when they reached the cover of the trees, hiding in a low, natural ditch. They looked at the sky, terrified. The buzz had grown louder, the wolves shaking in terror. Humphrey's eyes were locked with the sky, horror in his gaze. Sweets began to cry softly, Salty doing his best to comfort her. Kala looked skyward, wondering what was wrong with the pack and why they were acting this way.

Suddenly, a triangular thing flew through the sky above the trees, a great scream emitting from it as it flew away. The wolves gasped and got lower, their fur standing on end. Kala interestedly yet cautiously stepped forward, trying to get a better look. More and more of them began to fill the sky until she realized it was a swarm of angular birds flying above. Humphrey quickly grabbed her scruff and dragged her down into the ditch, holding her down as they looked at the sky. Kala listened as well as watched the birds fly off; they were faster than any bird she'd ever seen before and quite strange looking as well. As soon as they left, Scourge growled and knocked Kacey to the ground.

"I thought you said there were no humans here!" He snarled viciously.

"There weren't!" She growled. "The last couple of times I was here, there weren't any humans at all! I know for a fact that there's none on the ground, though; other humans wiped out the places they used to live on the coast."

"How can we be so sure of that?" Scourge snarled. "How do we know that we can trust a bitch like you?"

"Scourge, back off!" Humphrey ordered.

"No!" He spat. "We can't trust a lone wolf; she said the west was safe and now we just saw more of the humans and their Fighter Jets. How the fuck can we trust her?"

"She didn't know, Scourge, now get off of her!" Humphrey growled.

"Give me one reason why I should," Scourge countered darkly, his paw poised to strike at Kacey. Her eyes glared defiantly at him and Kala noticed her unsheathed hind paw near his belly.

"I am your Leader Wolf, Scourge! Just let her go; I won't have a war break out in my own pack! We already have enough problems as it is." Before Scourge could do anything, however, Kacey aimed a swift kick to his groin. He groaned in pain as he paw connected with his wolfhood and she flipped him to his back. Humphrey quickly leapt between them, separating the two from one another. He growled at the, giving them each a cold glare.

"You two back the hell off!" He snarled. "We don't need to be fighting one another, much less at a time like this! The humans are gone for now and they're the least of our worries. The tide will be coming in soon and I can scent a storm coming already. This is survival, and we are a pack; we look out for one another, and we take care of each other. Now shape up and forget this ever happened. We have work to do or we'll all be fucked by that storm."

The two wolves glared at each other and they began to disperse. Kala watched as Humphrey began to talk quietly with Kacey. He glared at her to stay away, so she obediently-though reluctantly-obeyed him. She laid down a ways away from them where she was unable to hear the two, but she knew that they were talking about her. He glanced at her several times, Kacey's gaze darting to her as well.

She wondered if Kacey was informing him of her fainting in the dunes, but there was no way to quite certain of that. When they were finished, Kacey looked at Humphrey…strangely. Kala couldn't understand the look in her eyes as she stared at her father, but was quickly informed when they nuzzled each other. Kala felt a sudden overwhelming sense of jealousy towards Kacey when she saw them do this, somewhat glad when Kacey padded away. Humphrey walked up to her and sat down, sighing.

"Kala, we need to talk," he said. She sat up and looked intently at her father.

"What is it, Dad?" She asked him. He exhaled deeply, looking about as though at a loss for words. He was trying to explain something to her or ask her something; perhaps both. This was important for both of them, and Kacey had something to do with it.

"Kala…over the past moon, I've begun to grow…close to Kacey. I want you to know that I will always love your mother and I can guarantee you that I'll miss her until the day that I die. Kacey, though…she came to us and befriended us. We've talked about it for a while and we decided that we both know what we want. Kala…Kacey and I want to be mates, and I want to ask you if that's alright with you."

She was not particularly surprised by this news, at least not nearly as surprised as she thought she'd be. However, she was shocked that he actually wanted to follow through and become mates with the lone wolf. After everything he'd been through with Kate, he was going to throw that away for her? She was being selfish despite Kate's messages to her, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to see him with Kacey; not yet, that is. How would she be able to spend time with her father if he was always with Kacey? No, she didn't want Kacey part of their family, not now, not ever! She wanted things to go back to the way they always were, back when it was just Kala, Humphrey, and the rest of the pack. She wanted them to all live at the Small Grounds that had been their home for most of her life. She wanted…she wanted…she wanted her mother.

"I'm thinking in your best interests, Kala," Humphrey continued. "You need a mother, someone that you can talk to and call a part of your family."

"But you're my family!" Kala whined.

"I know, Kala, but I mean more than just me," he sighed. "Your mother came to me in a vision and told me that she sent Kacey to us for this reason. She also said that she told you this as well." Kala's ears burned as hot blood flowed through them. This was true; she'd seen her mother and she'd told her this, but she didn't want to admit it.

"Dad…I don't know about this. I mean, I love Kacey, she's a great friend, but…"

"Kala, don't feel like you have to say yes for my sake," he told her gently. "I will only do this if you want to; this includes you just as much as it includes me. I'd never become mates with her without your association of the matter." She nodded and looked away, unable to think of what to do. She knew he was thinking in her best interests and she was grateful for consulting her first, but she was still hesitant to allow Kacey into their close-knit family. What would happen in mating season? Would they have pups? Would they forget Kala? She voiced her concerns to her father and he smiled softly and licked behind her ear. "Kala, I'll always be with you. Nothing will ever get between us, not Kacey, not pups, not any wolf of this pack or another, not even the humans will keep me from you. I'll always be your father Kala, and I'll never leave you again, not like after Jasper." She looked down, a small smile on her face. She knew in her heart that it was right for her father to do this. She looked up at him, smiling broadly. She nodded and the two embraced one another. They padded back towards the rest of the wolves, ready to inform them of what their plans were.

**Humphrey**

The pack had taken very well and acceptingly to Humphrey's proclamation of taking Kacey as his mate. Scourge was uneasy about it, but accepted it as well. He was worried that they might think he'd forgotten Kate already, but on the contrary; they'd understood fully and accepted her as part of the pack upon the announcement. Throughout the night, the wolves, Marcel, and Iris celebrated their joy of life and the future that lay before them. They had successfully made it to the ocean and were just over a year away from reaching the Pack of the Winter Mountains. It was perfect, and it had brought the sense of hope that they'd all been denied for so long.

The wolves danced and sang, howled and ate, and overall, they had fun for the moment. Humphrey, Kala, and Kacey stayed by one another throughout the night, enjoying each other's company. Kacey was ecstatic when Kala came back and greeted her with "Hi, Mom!" Her eyes brimmed with tears when she said this and the two embraced for a long while. Kacey had always wanted to be a mother to a pup, and now, she finally had that golden opportunity to do just that.

"Hey, Barf!" Humphrey shouted across the sand clearing in the dunes. He glared at Humphrey.

"What is it, Coyote?" He growled. Humphrey, however, knew that he was playing along as well; now they saw the nicknames as a fun inside-joke. He grinned.

"How about you shot your little 'project' to all of us," Garth's eyes widened and he looked about nervously. Lily looked at him, curious.

"What project?" She asked him inquisitively.

"Oh, it's nothing," he dismissed.

"Nothing!" Humphrey scoffed. "I thought you were going to show it to Lily! Come on, Garth, show us the project!" The other wolves began to pester him as well and he gave in.

"Okay, okay!" Garth groaned. He walked over to a dead tree and climbed up its barren surface. When he reached on of the sturdy branches, he wrapped his tail around it and dug his hind claws into its surface. He leg himself hang back until he was upside down, hanging from his tail on the branch. "Alright, what am I?" Humphrey and several of the wolves snickered, but Lily looked at him in interest. She tilted her head and thought hard.

"Wait, wait!" She said, holding out a paw. "Don't tell me, I got this! Um…um…a bat?"

"Not quite, but good guess," he replied with a smile. She thought hard again and took another guess.

"A possum?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, that's right!" He replied happily. The wolves burst out laughing, Garth looking embarrassed. Suddenly, the branch snapped and he crashed to the ground. He groaned and pulled himself up. Lily flopped onto her back and stuck out her tongue.

"Turtle road kill?" Kala piped. Lily grinned and nodded in affirmation. They all began to play a game of charades and made impressions of other animals and objects. Suddenly, there was a loud crack of thunder and the bright flash of lightning in the sky. The wolves looked up at the sky and the wind began to howl viciously. They began to walk towards the forest, but something hit Humphrey's leg and his bracelet flew off towards the ocean. His eyes widened as he watched it fly, but Kala saw it too.

She darted after it, over the dunes towards the ocean. He called out to her, but she didn't listen. He ordered everyone back to the forest and then took off after Kala. He chased her, calling out. As he ran overtop a dune, he was suddenly smashed with a tidal wave of water. He stood up, coughing and sputtering out the salty ocean water. He looked out over the dunes and saw water-soaked sand. Kala was nowhere to be found.

"Kala!" He cried. He looked about, howling for her. He screamed to her, but couldn't hear her or see her. He rushed to the shoreline, the howling wind and rain hitting him. Another wave smashed into him, Humphrey digging his paws into the sand and mud. "KALA!"

He looked out over the dark ocean, searching for his daughter. No, he thought. No, no please, no… Suddenly, a silver body broke through the surface of the ocean and waded to shore. In her jaws was Humphrey's bracelet. Humphrey hugged her tightly as she tied it around his right leg where it belonged.

"I thought you'd died," he growled, holding her close. She grinned.

"Come on, Dad," she told him. "It's going to take a lot more than this to get rid of me."

**A/N: Well, there it is, everyone! Thanks for reading and supporting me this far in! Hopefully this wasn't too predictable for you guys, but who knows, I just hope you enjoyed it! Also, I'd like to say that I've joined that forum from HLK, and it's pretty freaking cool!**

**Anyhow, thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, the dark wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, light555, LilyandMe, MoonTrekerAF, and the-crazy-lone-wolf77 for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	27. To The Winter Mountains

Humphrey awoke, his daughter sleeping against his chest and his newfound mate, Kacey, sleeping beside them, her head next to Humphrey's. He smiled, knowing that this was how it was meant to be. Perhaps not quite how it was always mean to be, of course; he knew that Kate should be beside him with all four of their pups. He knew that they should be in Jasper, living peacefully with over one hundred wolves in the pack, thriving and living in perfect harmony. Alas, that destiny was not to be; it was a forlorn dream, something that he could only wish had happened.

Still, there was something about Kacey that he loved unconditionally. He would never love her exactly the same as he loved Kate, but he knew that they could have a life together; he knew that Kacey was a perfect mate for him and an exemplary mother for Kala. The fact that his daughter had accepted Kacey wholeheartedly into their family was beyond wishing, something that he'd been ecstatic about. Now, Humphrey had what he had dreamt of for years: a family to his own. Despite Scourge's uneasiness, the rest of the pack accepted Kacey as well; she had finally gained their trust, and as the mate of the Leader Wolf, it was quite evident that she was to be a permanent addition to the pack, and a valued one at that.

Kacey had feverishly tended to Kala when she and Humphrey returned the night prior. After the storm, Kala had been shaking, shivering, and soaked through her fur with the frigid salt water of the ocean. When Humphrey informed her of what Kala did, she had looked at her, stunned and horrified that she'd done something so risky. Humphrey warned her against doing it again, explaining all of the dangers that her decision presented and the fatal repercussions of her actions that could have ensued it. She solemnly understood Humphrey and Kacey's concern and disappointment in her actions, though he licked her ear and thanked her for retrieving Kate's bracelet. Kacey had asked then why Kala had gone after the bracelet and what its significance was. When Humphrey explained, she thoughtfully looked at the two. He was initially worried about what her thoughts were, thinking that she might be jealous of his relationship with Kate kept alive with the bracelet. Then, she did the quite unthinkable.

All wolves have an extra claw up the back of their legs, one not connected to their paws. She bent over, twisting herself acrobatically to fix her fangs around the claw on her right leg. She gave a vicious yank and tore out the claw. She placed it carefully on the ground and quickly wrapped the soaked leaves on the ground around the rapidly bleeding wound. Humphrey and Kala were shocked by her actions, but they're reasons became apparent when she padded up to Humphrey and took his right paw. She wove the claw through the strands of fur that Kala had wrapped around it and embedded the back of the claw into one of the twigs. She smiled and licked his face. Now, it represented more for Humphrey, and he grinned at her as well.

The wolves had taken cover further back in the forest, the destructive path of the waves not reaching them. Now, the cloudy grey sky began to lighten as the morning stretched its wings across the earth. Kacey began to stir as she noticed Humphrey wake, Kala waking up as well. Before either of them could say anything, Humphrey motioned for them to discretely follow him. The she-wolves looked at one another questioningly, and then shrugged, following Humphrey silently up the hill and towards a large dune. As they reached the dune, Humphrey walked up to a tree and began to claw the bark away, allowing it to fall to the ground in the form of a log sled. Kacey's eyes brightened and her tail wagged when she saw what he was doing, but Kala was indifferent as to his actions, not fully understanding what it was that her father was up to.

He and Kacey began to drag the log sled up the large dune until they reached its peak. The rain from the storm the night before had left the dune wet, but the frost from the morning had left a light icy layer over the sand, meaning that their speed would be incredible on the way down. Humphrey grinned ruefully at Kacey and Kala and politely let them leap on first. Kala took the middle, Kacey in the back, and Humphrey taking the helm in the front of the log sled. Humphrey tilted forward apprehensively, the log sled inching its way over the edge. Kacey and Kala leaned forward as well, and with an abrupt movement, they launched down the side of the dune.

The trio yelled on the way down, Humphrey and Kacey in happiness and glee, but Kala in initial fright. Humphrey quickly barked to turn right, avoiding the barren tree Garth had hung from that night. Kacey and Kala helped lean right, the log sled responding swiftly, veering sharply to the right. Frozen, crystalized sand particles flew from the wake of the log sled and they began to descend down another large dune. At the bottom, a small dune provided a jump that would lead them directly over the beach and into the ocean. Humphrey grinned widely and aimed for the dune. Kacey howled in happiness, Humphrey joining his voice with hers. Kala still screamed the entire way down.

Suddenly, they were in the air, flying high above the dune. Their bodies left the log sled and they tumbled head over paws towards the ocean. They slammed into frigid water. Kacey pulled off an acrobatic, graceful dive, Humphrey pulling off a wolf-ball dive, and Kala slamming belly first into the water with a loud smack. They resurfaced, Kacey and Humphrey laughing and enjoying themselves. Kala broke through the water, dazed from the impact. They looked at her expectantly as they floated in the ocean and Kala opened her mouth to speak.

"That," she said with wide eyes. "Was awesome! Let's do it again!" Kacey and Humphrey laughed and they obliged, returning to the large dune and repeatedly log sledding down its surface until they were tired of crashing into the water. Kala's chest and belly was sore from the repeated belly flops on the water, but her pain was easily diminished by the amount of fun she had from log sledding with her father and newfound mother.

They returned to the rest of the pack as the sun began to peek out from the dark clouds above in random, sporadic breaks in the thick cover, golden sunlight streaming down to warm random areas of the earth and ocean. The wolves had been aroused by their fun and games, but were not mad; they knew the importance of their relationship as a family with one another and were happy to see them having fun.

As the day wore on, the temperature began to drop. Humphrey looked about to see that the trees of the forest were largely barren, the old leaves on the ground dead or dying. Even the leaves Kacey had wrapped around her leg to use as a makeshift bandage were cracked and useless. At Humphrey's request, Lily happily found reeds to wrap tightly around her wounded leg, Kacey thanking her sincerely for doing so.

Winter was on the horizon, and Humphrey knew that if they didn't start to get moving, they'd likely be locked in the forest for a long time, and time wasn't something they could take for granted. They had all of the time in the world to go searching for the Pack of the Winter Mountains, but they needed to find food, fresh water, and a place to take shelter from the elements. Another liability of their journey was the presence of Marcel and Iris. The two birds had never encountered the harsh effects of winter before. The closest they'd come close to were simple flyovers and passes of snow-capped mountains. Their bodies were not fit and built for long journeys in the winter, hence why birds flew south for the season. Their wings would quickly freeze and they'd plummet downward towards certain death. Humphrey had seen enough death in the past moons, and he walked over to the birds to tell them to go back and find them when the spring returned to the world.

"I will stay with your, monsieur," Marcel replied stubbornly. "I cannot say the same for Iris, though, for I wish her to return and never come back."

"No, no, no, no, NO!" She yapped at him. "I'm going to come, too! Mister big-grey-leader-of-fun-and-adventures isn't going to go on a quest without me!"

"You two are taking a great risk by coming with us," Humphrey warned them cautiously. "You have to understand that you might not make it if you journey with us."

"It is a risk I'm quite willing to take," Marcel proclaimed with pride. "To hell and back I will journey with you, my furry friend! I have nothing else to do anymore, and I'm getting to be an old French-Canadian goose; I need something new to peak my interest."

"I thought you said you were French?" Humphrey asked with an amused smile.

"Yes, well a certain caddy duck made me see otherwise," Marcel replied with a sad wink. He smiled and dipped his head, happy to have Marcel to accompany the wolves. They returned to the wolves on the beach and Humphrey stood in front of them, clearing his throat. The wolves sat down in attention. Humphrey looked at each and every one of them; they were his friends, his allies, and they were his _family_. They were an odd pack; two of them weren't even wolves, yet they made up the pack of seventeen nevertheless.

It had been over three moons, nearly four since they'd left Jasper Park. It had been nearly for moons since they had lost so many friends and loved ones at the destructive paws of the humans. Now, Humphrey had gained a new mate, revealed to his daughter his identity and she'd accepted it, and the pack as a whole was happy for once, ready to continue on their journey. Now, he was ready to address his pack as their Leader Wolf. They had come so far; it was no lie, nor hidden fact that they had a long way to go. They all knew how long it would take them to reach the Winter Mountains, but they were determined, they persevered, and they accepted and followed Humphrey as their Leader Wolf without hesitation. He was proud of them and thankful to have such a pack by his side.

"The winter will be coming within any day now," Humphrey told them. "We're in unfamiliar and possibly hostile territory from here on in. From this moment on, we're not just a pack; we're all part of one family, and we help out our family at every turn, through every hardship. We have well over a year before we exit these mountains, but as we have after Jasper and our other packs," he said this referring to Kacey and Scourge's packs that they had lost. "We will continue to rise above the challenge and defy death again and again. We will reach the Pack of the Winter Mountains, and then we shall know peace once again!"

When he had finished his speech, the pack let loose rejoiced, triumphant, and above all else, determined and proud howls into the sky. Even Iris and Marcel joined in, mimicking wolf howls, their voices joining and reverberating, reaching the heavens above to where they knew Fenrir and their fallen packmates were watching over them with keen, caring eyes. They would reach the Pack of the Winter Mountains, their belief strong and their hearts beating as one in their hopes to reach the pack and receive the peaceful refuge that all wolves had been promised for eons.

Suddenly, Marcel took out one of his golf clubs and struck Iris on the head. She immediately slumped to the ground, unconscious. The wolves looked at Marcel in shock as he put the club back in the recesses of his wings. He looked at them, the wolves staring at him in shock.

"Well don't just stand there, wolves!" Marcel said. "Let's get out of here before that crazy she-duck wakes up again!" Humphrey grinned and barked to the pack, the wolves and Marcel moving out across the beach. Of course, Iris would awake and pursue them again and Marcel would have hell to pay for knocking her out, but that problem would arise when she found them again. If she had any sense, she'd leave for the south to safety. Humphrey wished her luck; if she was to go south, she was going to need to be safe and evade the humans. Their war was not yet over, and the Fighter Jets they saw the day prior was proof enough of that. The jets were headed south to join in the humans' fray, but the wolves could now leave them behind. Now, it was time for hope to arise.

Something landed on Humphrey's nose. He sneezed and shook it off. Another landed on his muzzle and he narrowed his eyes to look at it. The object was a miniscule flake; a speck of white, crystalline, frozen ice matter that had lighted gently onto his nose. Kala was walking beside him and saw one land on her nose as well. She looked at it and then back to her father. He grinned and she leapt about happily, knowing what this was.

"Dad, it's snow!" She exclaimed happily. "It's snowing, Dad; it's really snowing!"

**End Act 2:**

**The Wolves of the Darkness**

**A/N: Well, there you have it everyone! A short chapter, I know, but I promise the next one will be longer and will be incredibly interesting as it gets into the main plotline of this story! Just remember Humphrey and Kala's visions and the messages given to them by Sam and Kate. This story will be one of the most mysterious and it will change what you know about the Alpha and Omega characters that survived and the new OCs I introduced. Make no mistake, there is a reason why the title of the series has 'Darkness' in it.**

**Thanks to LilyandMe, the-crazy-lone-wolf77, Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, the dark shadow, imjustlikehumphrey, light555, and MoonTrekerAF for reviewing my last chapter! Can't wait to show you what happens next! Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	28. The Newcomers

**Act 3: The Wolf of the Prophecy**

**Sixteen Standard Moons Later**

**Day 596**

Kala was now the age of one year, seven months, and seventeen days. She had grown into a beautiful young she-wolf and had reached the height where Winston could no longer say that she was smaller than Humphrey; now, they were approximately the same height. Her paws had turned from white to a bright tawny, the rest of the golden fur blending in with her silver pelt. She was a strong, lithe, agile, strong, intelligent, and caring for her packmates. Firetail's tail now presented the white markings prominently, but her bore the markings proudly. His jawline had become more angular, his shoulders slightly larger as he began to take lessons from Garth.

Iris had not been happy when she returned to the pack and swore to kill Marcel. Ever since her return three days after the incident, she had not followed through with that promise. It had been one year since they left and not a single wolf had caught any form of sickness or disease, and there had not been a single sign of humans save for their ruins as Kacey had said. There were no casualties, and for that Humphrey was thankful to Fenrir and the fallen wolves of the pack for watching over their progress. Regrettably, that progress was not nearly as far as Humphrey would have preferred. They had settled in several locations for days to weeks on end. In one particular location, they had resided in the forest for approximately one moon and three days to stave out the winter. Though he would have liked to keep going forward during that time, he knew that as the winter wore on, the wolves had to settle in and find local prey, shelter, and water.

The accompaniment of Marcel and Iris did not make matters any better in that sense. They were able to spot out prey from high above and find water and shelter for the wolves and had become valuable assets to the pack as well as friends, but they were not accustomed to the frigid temperatures and climate changes that were presented with the winter. They burrowed into the snow each night, huddling together as the wolves lay around them, the pack sharing their body heat to keep warm through the cold, bitter winter nights.

Despite her initial excitement at observing it, Kala learned to hate the winter. She would try to lick her fur dry of the ice crystals matting her pelt and in the process would tear up her tongue. She would whimper and whine when she did so, Kacey and Humphrey helping her out. However, they encouraged her to keep licking and toughen her tongue, making its surface more durable and able to withstand the harsh effects of the ice on her tongue. She would need to do so again in the future, and she wouldn't always have Kacey and Humphrey to lick her fur for her. She would scrunch up her face and force herself to lick her fur, Humphrey and Kacey agreeing to help her with half of her fur each time as long as Kala would lick half of herself dry of the crystals. This was the part she hated about winter and the part that she would never cease to despite about the season of cold; she could deal with the temperature for the most part save for in times of blizzards and high wind chill temperatures, but licking the ice from her fur was the last thing she ever wanted to do again.

However, her mother and father and found a way to make her enjoy the season and have fun in it. As self-proclaimed masters of the game of Snowball Fights, Humphrey and Salty taught Kala what they dubbed the 'Art of Snowball Wars.' Kacey smirked, laughing at the hilarity of the ludicrous title that the Omegas had given it and decided to teach Kala how to win a snowball fight in more 'unconventional' ways. Unconventional ways of snowball wars included Kacey teaching Kala how to make an improvised snowball. The improvising process, however, was quite disturbing to Kala. It included urinating in the snow and forming a snowball around the urine to make a quite disgusting snowball.

This, Kacey told her, was where the fun came in. One night, they hid the snowballs and told Humphrey that they were going for a walk. He smiled and said his goodbyes. Kacey, he soon realized, was quite a mischievous and cunning she-wolf. They stealthily stalked back to the clearing that the pack was waiting at and watched as Humphrey and Salty talked and joked about what they referred to as 'the old days.' In their oblivious, distracted state, the two she-wolves launched a steady volley of snowballs at the unsuspecting wolves. Kala scored a hit on Humphrey's mouth and he licked the snow away, causing her to laugh madly. He reeled back repulsively as he tasted the frozen urine and spat it out in disgust. The two looked back at the laughing she-wolves and grinned. Then, they chased the she-wolves into the forest, throwing snowballs at them. Kala and Kacey whirled around and pelted them with more of their hidden snowballs. Humphrey hid behind a tree and made several different snowballs. He came out of cover and saw Kala's rear facing him. She looked at him with a smirk and began to launch a continuous volley of snowballs at him with her hind legs.

He was quickly buried under a large mound of snow and was dug out by Kacey and Kala. When he saw Kala, he grinned as he remembered that Kate had done the same thing to him on their journey back from Idaho. He hid his sadness at the memory, but it didn't change that there was a pang in his heart from Kate's absence. Nothing could ever truly fill the void that she'd left within him, but Kacey's companionship proved to be a factor that allowed him to feel like he had a mate standing alongside him. That was very much true; after all, they were now mates, but Humphrey still considered Kate as his mate.

Throughout the sixteen months, she began to haunt him again. Humphrey would see her in the forests, in the ocean, amongst the dunes, following him through the snow…she was everywhere he went and continued to haunt his nightmares. He knew it wasn't her; he knew the real Kate, and this was not the real Kate. Still, he had even encountered this demonic apparition and confronted his demented fears-at least, he tried to confront them. He would yell at it to leave him, snarl at it and tell the apparition that it wasn't real, that it wasn't her. Still, she haunted him until he was nearly driven to insanity.

Sleep came at a loss to him and he would be exhausted and weary in the mornings afterward. The only thing that kept him from being driven to the path of a Mad Wolf was the comforting presence of Kacey and Kala. They would take his mind off of the problems at his paws and he'd spend as much time as he could with them.

As agreed, he and Kacey had taken their relationship slowly until their feelings truly did develop. Humphrey felt that when they said they loved each other when they first mated, it was not real love; he knew what love was, and he knew that he harbored love for Kate and his daughter. It was merely infatuation that he felt towards her, not love. As they slowly developed their feelings, their love for one another did begin to show and he found that they were a perfect match for one another.

Spring came around and the snow began to melt. With the thaw came some the mating season when the she-wolves were in heat. Despite their uncontrollable lustful desires, the wolves resisted the urge to mate. Kala was perplexed as to the attitudes of the she-wolves; as she was not old enough to have those kinds of feelings and temptations, the behaviors of the she-wolves was foreign and benign to her. Humphrey neglected to tell her until she was older and requested that no one else told her either. Spring meant something great to Humphrey; it was over the course of three mid-spring days that he and Kate and fallen in love and become mates.

When the day came that marked the anniversary of their marriage, Humphrey was grim, antisocial, and saddened throughout the day. He felt sick and incessantly refused to talk to any wolf for nearly three days. The haunting poltergeist of his deceased mate did not make matters any better, and the old wounds of hurt and pain festered and coursed through Humphrey's veins. He spent a night away from the wolves, crying for endless hours in mourning for her and for the life that the two loving wolves were cruelly denied. Throughout the night, the dark whispers of the apparition haunted him, mocked him, hissing death into his ears. They blamed him for her death; they told him all the things he didn't do to save her. He sobbed, sputtering and choking on his tears. His head was pounding and his blood ran through his body at a heat that could only be comparable to molten magma. He eventually passed into a restless sleep that night, his dreams haunted by the shadow apparition of Kate. It didn't make sense to him; how could he have talked to Kate before and then have his nightmares come back to him again? The only logical conclusion that he could come up with was the possibility of the Kate he'd talked to in the dunes not being real. Then again, he'd seen her again with Kacey when they were traveling back to the pack and Kacey had talked to her, so how could she not be real? He returned that following morning with heavy, bloodshot eyes and sweaty, matted fur, tear streaks running down the sides of his face. Kacey was horrified to see his condition and had lain with him throughout the day, trying to help him feel better, but she could give no reassuring condolences that would help him through this.

Spring transitioned into summer and they had finally reached the glacial ice caps that the wolves Kacey had talked to had described. Immediately, Marcel and Iris took flight into sky and found the mountain pass that snaked through the range for endless leagues. Once again, they journeyed into the darkness of the forest and continued their endless search for the Pack of the Winter Mountains. Throughout their time, Humphrey was able to bond with Kala. He taught her how to hunt prey from the smallest vole to the largest caribou. At first, her frustration at her initial inability to achieve a successful hunt addled her mind and blinded her to the world around her. When Humphrey taught her to free herself of negative thoughts and become one with the world around her, she began to proceed with greater versatility and was able to finally catch her own prey. Humphrey had prided his daughter in her ability to catch prey, especially when she-like Humphrey-had taken down a female caribou single-pawed. He did, perhaps, brag a bit too much about her hunting skills, leading in a hunt-off between her and Firetail. Still, he was amused and elated when she turned out victorious in the competition. It wasn't until a moon later that Firetail was able to catch prey, and his largest was a young doe, not nearly matching the expertise and skill-set that Kala had achieved.

With his bragging, though, came the exaggerated stories derived from Kala's own sub consciousness. He frowned upon her made-up stories, but he still found them entertaining nevertheless. The pack was, of course, impressed with her abilities, but it began to grow old after nearly six days of going up to wolves and saying something along the lines of, "Hey, remember that caribou we ate that one night? You know; the really good-tasting one _that I_ _caught_?"

Summer transitioned to autumn, and autumn into another winter. This winter, however, was far more bearable. They had located a nearby vacant cave and resided within it for the three months of snow and ice. Iris and Marcel became paranoid with constantly being cooped up inside of the cave, but agreed that it was far preferable compared to their experience burrowing into the snow and huddling with the wolves to share what body heat they could muster. Now, the winter had begun to recede, the snow melting, the flora and fauna returning life to the forest. The snow and ice still capped the mountains and lay strewn sporadically across the range, but the sun warmed their bodies once more as spring came again. It was several days into spring now and nearing mating season again. The she-wolves dreaded the feelings of heat without being able to supplement their desires and prepared themselves for another long, agonizing spring.

Kala was now over a year and a half of age and beginning to undergo the internal changes that she-wolves experienced with prolonged maturity. There was a day that she had come back screaming frantically, tears falling from her eyes as she sobbed terribly. She was convinced that she was going to die and Humphrey had shot into his fatherly protectiveness state of mind, trying to figure out what was wrong. When she explained through her crying that she had urinated blood, his ears drooped and his face flushed with embarrassment. He was able to reassure her that she was not dying and what was happening was fully natural, but found it incredibly awkward and uncomfortable to even begin to explain what was really going on.

Luckily, Kacey stepped in and resolved the issue by taking Kala back into the forest to explain to her exactly what was going on. Salty made jokes about the ordeal, Humphrey glaring at his friend for doing so. When Kala came back with Kacey, there was a daunting, horrified look in her eyes. Obviously she had not taken well to the news that she would be experiencing this every moon for the rest of her life, and she was certainly not happy to hear what it was meant for. However, her fears were quickly silenced when Firetail came to Garth with a particular problem of his own.

Humphrey and Salty couldn't contain their boisterous laughter when Firetail showed Garth his erect wolfhood. As if the disgusted look on Garth's face wasn't enough when Firetail decided to show it to him, but when the young wolf said, "Dad, there's something really wrong with me! My wolfhood is getting bigger!" the Omegas burst out into tearful laughter. Even Scourge chuckled humorously, the rest of the pack breaking into amused, hysterical grins. Lily whistled and walked away, leaving Garth to explain to their adopted son what was going on with him. Garth gruffly took his son into the forest and explained what was going on. Against Kacey's warnings against doing so, Humphrey and Salty stealthily followed them. They didn't hear much of the conversation, only hearing the part where Garth told Firetail that he shouldn't be worried about it because it 'was a good thing.'

It was now nearing the time of twilight and Humphrey padded up to Kala, intent on fulfilling a promise to his daughter that he'd not had the chance to do. Tonight was the night he'd take her to the top of a mountain to howl to the Traveling Spirits. Her eyes brightened and her tail wagged furiously as he informed her of his plans. He invited Kacey and she happily accepted the chance to travel with them to the top of the mountain. Kala was bursting with joy, bounding up the snowy slopes as though she was still a young pup. Humphrey, of course, still considered her to be a pup. She had grown up so incredibly fast that the time seemed to have gotten away from him. He was shocked to see how much she'd grown in the past one year, seven months, and seventeen days. He wished that Kate could be there now to see how much she'd grown, but knew that she was probably watching from the skies above. He looked left out of instinct and saw the shadowy figure watching them travel to the top of the mountain. He clenched his jaw and looked away, forcing himself to forget about the apparition. _You won't ever escape me, Humphrey,_ it whispered hauntingly.

Now, the three wolves sat atop the peak of a mountain, the wind buffeting their fur. Kala was exhilarated by the feeling of being up so high in the air. She made a point to ask Marcel and Iris if they felt this way when they returned to the bottom of the mountain. Now, however, it was time to wait for the Traveling Spirits. They waited…and waited…and they waited some more. Still, there was no sign of the spirits. Kala began to despair that they would not come on that night, but Humphrey assured her that they would. As if on cue, the lights began to flow from the far north heading towards them. They flashed into the sky above them and the three threw their heads back and howled to the lights. The lights swirled around them and suddenly, Humphrey was transported to another mountain.

_ He looked about and realized it was the same mountain he was sitting on in reality, but there were no lights in the sky, nor were Kacey and Kala sitting beside him. He looked about and saw Sam sitting patiently behind him. Humphrey padded up to his Spirit Guide and sat down, waiting to hear what he had to say. It was becoming quite annoying to howl to the Traveling Spirits, however, and only receive a response from Sam or none at all. Could he not talk to his friends, family, to his own mate, or was he cursed to go through this same thing over and over again?_

I see that you have become mates with the lone wolf,_ Sam observed. It had been over a year since they had last talked, so it came to Humphrey as no surprise that he was aware of his marriage with Kacey. _I am pleased to see this, Young Grey.

_ "I'm not so young anymore, Sam," Humphrey replied. "Unless you count four years of age being 'young.'"_

It is young compared to the centuries that I have existed,_ Young Grey, Sam said, amused. Humphrey shrugged._

_ "It's been quite a while, Sam," he said. "Why are you coming to me now?"_

_ Because you have entered the lands of the Ancients, Sam said matter-of-factly. His tone of voice made it seem as though it was supposed to be common knowledge. Humphrey scowled._

_ "I know I shouldn't be expecting a simple answer from you, but can you just explain yourself for once?"_

It will become quite self-explanatory and clear as water when you wake up, Young Grey,_ Sam said. _In preparation for the journey ahead, I have given you, Nicholas and Kala the gift of telepathy.

_ "So talking through our minds like you?" Humphrey inquired. Sam nodded with a small grin._

Think of it as a little gift from me to you,_ Sam told him. _Use the gift to your utmost advantage, Young Grey. You'll need it soon.

_ "Need it for what?" Humphrey asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that'll come useful for something, but what's going to happen that will require that I use it?"_

There is no requirement, just a high suggestion of its use. Now, I must insist that you get back to your pack. They're busy being attacked right now.

_ "Wait, what?" Humphrey asked him before returning to reality._

He looked about as he saw Kala and Kacey begin to wake from their dreams as well. From down below, he could hear the distant sounds of a struggle. Kala and Kacey heard it as well and the three darted down the mountain back towards the pack. They could hear feral, defiant snarls as something attacked the pack. Humphrey recognized the snarls and growls, shouts and taunts of his pack, but he also heard the retaliation of other animals…other wolves. They must have accidentally crossed into their territory without realizing it! Humphrey cursed himself for making such a mistake and they burst into the clearing.

There were fifteen wolves there attacking his pack. These weren't normal wolves; these wolves were bigger, they were stronger, and they were significantly more powerful than Humphrey's wolves. Suddenly, he was pinned to the ground, Kala and Kacey slammed down as well. He snarled and bit at the wolf on top of him, but couldn't move enough to do so. This wolf was powerful, it was cunning, and they had his pack captured. A large white wolf stalked into the clearing, his jade green eyes flashing as he looked at Humphrey and his pack. All of these wolves had bright, jade eyes; they were not normal wolves, these were different. What were they?

A necklace of reeds hung around his neck, the large fangs of a multitude of animals hanging from the necklace. He recognized the fangs of a bear, a snake, another wolf…even a Longfang hanging from his necklace, along with a large assortment of fangs that he couldn't recognize. He had black markings drawn on his white face. Black circles were drawn on his paws, two long lines falling down the white wolf's face from his eyes. A diamond was drawn in black on his forehead, a circle drawn on the back of each of his ears. The other wolves that had attacked them were covered in other visible markings as well, but they were all different, more intricate and complicated designs than that of the white wolf. Marcel and Iris were nowhere to be found, Humphrey hoping that they'd made it out of the way before these wolves had a chance to attack them. The white wolf looked around at Humphrey's pack and smirked.

"Bring them to the Leader Wolf and the Shaman," he growled.

**A/N: Well, there you have it, a new chapter and one with a new ending that marks the plotline of this story! What do you think will happen? Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, imjustlikehumphrey, LilyandMe, the dark shadow, light555, and The-crazy-lone-wolf77 for reviewing my last chapter! To light555, I have and Xbox, not a PS3. Sorry :(**

**Anyhow, thanks for reading! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	29. The Missing Piece

Humphrey was slammed to the ground, his jaw jarring upon impact with the stone earth. This had happened several times on their journey into the forest. Whenever any of them tried to break free of the newcomers' grasps, they'd be slammed harshly into the ground and kicked in the rump forward. Humphrey decided after this time that it probably wasn't the best idea to continue doing it. After all, it was probably destroying his teeth with each shattering hit. He dragged himself up and growled at his captor as he was shoved forward again. Scourge's muzzle was wrapped tightly in vines after he'd tried to tear one of the captors apart. _At least,_ Humphrey thought. _They haven't done that to me yet._

Kala trudged a few taillengths away, Winston on her left. Lily, Garth, and Firetail were kept apart, each watched by a wolf. Kacey had tried to go back to Humphrey and Kala on several occasions, but was beaten down by a ruthless she-wolf captor each time she made the attempt. Salty was unconscious, Sweets worrying over him as a particularly large wolf carried him on his back. The other four were spread out amongst the group, and the large white wolf led the way forward. One of the wolves walking in the back of the group was watching Kala intently; he was a brute of a wolf, but looked to be low on overall intelligence. He tentatively padded up to Kala and poked her rear with his nose. She reeled away and snarled at him. Humphrey growled at the perverted wolf as well, his eyes bearing a warning glare for the attempted-molester.

"If you touch my daughter," Humphrey growled. "I'll rip your throat out!"

"Oh, little wolf thinks he so tough, uh?" The brute said, walking up to him. "Me thinks little wolf should FUCK OFF!" He rammed into Humphrey, sending him sprawling into the ground. The group stopped, the white wolf glaring at him.

"Sarmen!" He barked. "We are not here to rape she-wolves and beat their parents! Back off!" Sarmen grinned crookedly and backed away submissively, another wolf taking his place to keep watch over Kala.

"You say you're not here to abuse us," Humphrey growled, pulling himself back up. "So, what _are_ you here to do with us?"

"You're on our land," the white wolf stated, leading the group once more. "It's up to the Leader Wolf and the Shaman to decide your fate." With that, they continued forward. Humphrey was pushed forward forcefully. He reluctantly stumbled forward, keeping pace with the group as they continued through the forest.

They traveled into the night, the morning, the day, and into the late afternoon without stop. It was torture for the wolves as they were forced to scat and urinate while walking, the she-wolves doing their absolute best to refrain from doing so at all. They stopped not for food or water and gave blatant disregard to Humphrey and the wolves of his pack. Winston was rasping heavily, the brutish wolf, Sarmen, barking at him to shut up. What kind of stupidity could ail a wolf that they couldn't see that Winston needed water? They all needed water, but the old wolf was practically coughing up his death throes as they walked on.

The white wolf announced that they weren't far from something he called 'the Ĝarnaw.' Humphrey furrowed his brow in confusion; what in the name of Fenrir was a Ĝarnaw? Evidently the rest of the pack was just as bewildered by the strange word and behaviors of these wolves as Humphrey was. He reached his mind out, hoping for Sam to come and give some kind of explanations as to what was going on, but he received no response from the Spirit Guide. Humphrey sighed; every time he actually needed Sam, he was never there. _Typical of him, just so incredibly typical of him,_ Humphrey thought bitterly.

Suddenly, something darted behind the trees. The wolves stopped, the white wolf looking deep into the darkness of the trees. There was more movement as the day died, the sun setting behind the mountains. There was a feral, hissing shriek in the forest. Kacey looked at Humphrey fearfully and mouthed out, "Night Watchers." Humphrey's blood ran cold; they had already encountered the D'Tyoni, so what were the Night Watchers going to be? Suddenly, a pale, furless creature leapt out of the forest. At first, Humphrey thought that it was a Longfang, but this was too small, to lithe, and it had no tail. Its head bore no eyes either, nor did it have ears; it was just a vast, hideous maw with four incredibly large fangs jutting from its mouth, two on top, two on the bottom. Three rows of razor-sharp fangs lined the interior of its mouth and a long, purple tongue snaked out of its mouth. Its paws had long appendages sticking from it; they looked like human paws, but larger, with massive, yellowing claws sticking from the tips.

It shrieked again and leapt at one of the wolves. It took Ashley by the throat, blood gushing from her neck as she screamed in terror. The creature ran out into the forest, dragging Ashley with it. Another wolf screamed her name and broke free of his captors, rushing into the forest. Almost immediately, another creature attacked him, severing his head from his body. It rose on its hind legs and grabbed the head in one paw and the tail in another, dragging the headless body into the forest. The wolves' eyes widened and the white wolf barked at them to get moving. More of the creatures pounced at them; the last two of the Eastern wolves being dragged off save for Garth who stayed beside Lily the whole way. Two of the captor wolves were also taken away, but the wolves continued their hectic run through the forest and away from the devilish creatures.

Humphrey spared a glance back and his blood ran cold as he saw more of the creatures chasing them. He sprinted forward, catching up with the rest of the wolves. Suddenly, Kala tripped, falling behind. Humphrey skidded to a halt; no, he couldn't let her die! One of the Night Watchers leapt on Kala and her eyes locked with the creature's. Suddenly, two invisible slits opened on the side of its head and glowed a bright yellow as it looked into Kala's eyes. Her eyes glowed yellow as well as she looked into its eyes.

He dashed forward and grabbed her by the scruff dragging her away from the creature. The slits on its bulbous face closed and it roared at them. Kala's eyes blinked and returned to their normal amber, no longer glowing. Humphrey shoved her along, getting her to run again. They sprinted as fast as they could, racing after the rest of the wolves and gaining on them quickly, but the creatures did as well. There was a gap in the trees ahead, a dark wolf standing at the end. They dove past the wolf and into the clearing. The wolf standing before the forest raised a paw and the creatures leapt at them. Suddenly, they smashed into an invisible barrier. It sparked blue as they crashed into it as though there was some kind of electrical field of energy that they couldn't see unless it was touched. The creatures hissed and snarled at the wolves through the barrier and then ran off.

They all breathed heavy sighs of relief, but they were saddened. They wept for the wolves that didn't make it. They were taken in a matter of moments, all of them…they were gone. If Iris and Marcel were still alive, that meant that now, there were only thirteen of them left. If not, then it was even fewer still. How could this happen? How could Humphrey let this happen?

_There was nothing you could have done,_ Humphrey, a voice said in his mind. It was not Sam; it was Scourge. Humphrey cast a shocked glance at him, but Scourge reminded him just of what Sam gave them. He had also given the gift to Kala. How Scourge managed to figure out how to use the newfound ability of telepathy was beyond Humphrey; this would have to be something that Scourge would need to teach him. As soon as he had the thought, Scourge told him that he would certainly teach him the ability of telepathic speech, as well as help him explain it to Kala if he so chose.

Suddenly, the wolf standing before the forest turned to look at them. He was incredibly ancient, appearing as though he was decades old despite the fact that the life expectancy of a wolf was only around ten years. His fur was ragged and unkempt, two large green eyes poking from sullen eye sockets. Long hairs stretched out of his ears and his whiskers stretched down his face. His claws were long and cracked, his entire body covered in green markings. His face was covered in the markings, lines etched across his face and around his pelt everywhere. The green had been so engrained into his fur that it almost looked natural. Had there not been the dull grey-white fur across his body, Humphrey would have easily thought that he was the first green wolf to exist in the world.

He glared at them, his eyes darting about madly as he observed the wolves. He was a hyperactive, jittery old wolf. His tail, Humphrey realized, was half severed. There was a large part of top of his left ear that was missing and whenever he opened his mouth, they could see that he was missing teeth as well.

"Who are these wolves?" He rasped. His voice was old yet youthful at the same time, energized, hyper. His voice was slightly higher than the normal pitch for a male wolf, somewhat higher than Shakey's voice. The white wolf walked up to the old one and gestured to Humphrey and his pack as they moved closer together. Humphrey could feel Kala press against his side, Kacey standing next to him on the other.

"We found them in the Snake Pass," the white wolf informed him. "As of Pack Law, we brought the invaders here for you and the Leader Wolf to take care of."

"Why must you repeatedly drop your problems on us?" He inquired angrily. The white wolf flinched as though he was fearful of the old wolf. Still, he stood still and waited as though he expected the old wolf to say something. When he didn't, the white wolf continued to talk.

"I didn't mean for it to sound like that, oh Shaman," he replied carefully. "Pack Law states that the Leader Wolf and you are to decide the fate of invaders, oh Shaman."

"Drop the 'oh Shaman' badger shit!" The Shaman snarled. The white wolf winced and backed up several paces. The Shaman snorted from his response and dragged out a small wooden plank of bark. There was a white, powdery substance on it of which he laid out on the ground in a long line in front of the forest. "I told you imbeciles that if you don't renew the Spirit Guardians after every rainfall or fast-wind, then every damned creature from the forest will kill us while we sleep!"

"Y-yes, oh Shaman, sir," the white wolf replied. His eyes widened and he vigorously shook his head. "My apologies, sir, I forgot to not call you-"

"Stop with this petty conversation!" The Shaman growled. "I tire of it. Bring the newcomers to the Ĝarnaw, we must speak with Saren." The white wolf nodded and growled an order to his wolves. Immediately, they shoved the Jasper wolves ahead, following the Shaman and the white wolf forward. The trees were sparse in this part of the forest, giving way to rocky flats.

They moved through the mountains until they reached a large clearing. In the clearing were stone obstructions that were not natural. Stones were piled on top of one another in small den-like creations, plant life growing around and in the stone structures. In a way, they resembled exterior caves. From the structures, wolves emerged. They all had lines painted onto their fur in unique designs, different colors given to the wolves depending on their natural fur color. Only the pups and younger wolves did not have the markings on their bodies. There was one thing that all of these wolves had in common, though; they all had bright, jade green eyes and they were all exceptionally large wolves. Not many of them were taller than the Jasper wolves, but indefinitely built far more stocky and stronger than them. It was like looking at a pack of Garths.

Silence hung over the massive clearing eerily as the Jasper wolves were ushered into the center of the clearing. A large red circle was drawn in the center of the clearing, an odd insignia painted on the ground within the circle. Upon closer examination, Humphrey realized that it looked just like the object he'd seen in his nightmares. What was this thing? There was a large cave mouth in the mountain they stood before. At the top of the mountain, four ice claws jutted from the peak and pointed in on themselves at the top of the massive peak. The sloped incline was incredible, nearly a perfect vertical drop. Humphrey would have been shocked if anything aside from birds could scale its surface.

The white wolf, the Shaman, and another wolf, a large black-furred wolf walked out of the cave, staring down at the Jasper wolves. This, Humphrey presumed, must have been the Leader Wolf they had talked about, Saren. He looked down at them, scrutinizing them from a distance. The rest of the pack was looking at them as well, the Jasper wolves huddling closer together as Humphrey padded to the forefront of the group. As Leader Wolf, it was his job to settle disputes and conduct diplomatic speeches on behalf of his pack.

"Who are you?" Saren asked him. His voice was different, the dialect odd as though he was not normally accustomed to speaking the language. That was impossible though, wasn't it? Wolves all spoke the same language, so how could this wolf be any different? Then again, they all had colored markings on their fur, the black wolf, Saren, covered in bright white markings resembling claw mark designs running down the sides of his face, his forehead, and his legs. Humphrey padded forward several paces, Scourge on his right and Winston on his left. The wolves looked at them through narrowed, questionable eyes. They didn't trust Humphrey and his pack, nor did they have any reason to. Still, Winston was experienced as a Leader Wolf and Scourge was a wolf that Humphrey considered to be his second in command (aside from Kacey, of course-as mates, Kacey was a Leader She-Wolf by default) and he was a wolf that Humphrey trusted with his life. He needed them with him just as Saren needed the Shaman and the white wolf.

"My name is Humphrey," he replied, projecting his voice so it could be heard. "We are the surviving wolves of Jasper Park to the south." There was a slight murmur that went through the crowd and the Shaman whispered something to Saren. He nodded and returned his hard gaze to Humphrey.

"You said you are survivors," he observed. "Would you care to elaborate on that?"

"Jasper Park-our former home-was destroyed by humans one year, seven months, and eighteen days ago. We used to be a pack of over one hundred wolves, but only we survived. We've been traveling north ever since." Saren nodded.

"I am sorry for your loss, Humphrey of Jasper Park," he apologized. His voice was sincere, but still bore caution. "I am Saren; I am the Leader Wolf of the Pack of the Jagged Ice. My _Harko_ here," he dipped his head towards the white wolf. "Has informed me that you have invaded our territory through the Snake Pass; why are you invading our lands?"

"We aren't invading," Humphrey replied calmly. "We've been traveling north for a long time now and we thought the pass would be the fastest way out of the mountains." Saren nodded once again and conversed with the Shaman and the white wolf. Humphrey shifted his weight uncomfortably. He spared a glance to Winston and the old wolf nodded in approval; he was indeed carrying out with the diplomacy quite well in the situation. Scourge also nodded, his claws partially unsheathed in case things got out of hand. Finally, Saren looked back.

"Where are you heading, Humphrey of Jasper Park?" He inquired.

"We are heading for the Pack of the Winter Mountains," he replied confidently. There was a murmuring sniggering in the crowd as they stifled mocking laughter from his bold statement. Saren considered his response for a while.

"A bold statement, Humphrey of Jasper Park," he said. "But you must know that the Pack of the Winter Mountains does not exist."

"We had no other place to go," Humphrey replied. "It seemed like our best shot after Jasper was destroyed." Saren nodded.

"If your mind is set on reaching the Pack of the Winter Mountains," Saren said. "Then you may stay here for the night and take shelter here. You do not seem to be in the best shape at the moment; tell me when was the last time you ate a proper meal?"

"No, Saren!" The white wolf protested. The Leader Wolf glared at him. "We can't just let these strangers in our Ĝarnaw; much less give them our food!"

"We have enough room to accommodate thrice the amount of wolves we have in this clearing," Saren stated. "And we have never had a shortage of food nor water. If anything, we have had a staggering surplus of food and water as we always have. They shall be our guests for the while and we will ensure that they are at full health before they continue their journey. This is my pack, and I am your Leader Wolf; what I say is the law here." The white wolf grumbled and walked away. Saren padded to Humphrey.

"My apologies, newcomers," Saren said. "Icerin has been quite bothersome lately."

"No worries," Humphrey replied. "Thank you Saren, for your hospitality."

"Of course!" Saren exclaimed, smiling. "We are all wolves here, why should we not be hospitable towards one another?"

"If only all wolves thought the same as you do," Humphrey said in agreement. Saren nodded, then turned to a wolf walking by. He was a blue-grey male, not much older than Kala and Firetail. Saren barked at him. "Faolan, take our guests to Inner Cave. When the hunting parties return, bring them back here and we'll dine together."

"Yes, Leader Wolf!" He replied instantly. He beckoned for them to follow him as Saren walked away. Faolan led them to a large, spacious cave nearby. He dipped his head respectfully towards them and padded away. Kala looked after him, a puzzled look on her face. Humphrey smiled at her and nudged her. She looked at him.

"Already got a crush on him?" Humphrey teased. She looked at him incredulously.

"No!" She exclaimed. "That's icky she-wolf stuff! No, you and Kacey can do that, but you can leave me out!"

"Well, if it's 'icky she-wolf stuff,'" he said, amused. "Then why are you so interested in him?"

"He looks familiar," Kala admitted. "I don't know why, but I feel like I've seen him somewhere before." Humphrey considered her for a moment and decided to look around. The cave was covered in spiraled markings and drawings of the object he'd seen in his dreams. He padded up to a wall and saw four paw prints on the wall. He looked at the smallest and saw a line that went down it. It looked…familiar to him. How could that be? He looked at his right paw and gasped; on his pad was a line perfectly identical to the line that showed up on the cave wall. It was an old birthmark-scar that he'd had for as long as he could remember.

"I knew you'd come back," a she-wolf said. He looked at the mouth of the cave and saw a grey she-wolf standing there, tears in her eyes. She looked to be the same age as he was. She padded up to him, her eyes watery. She had a white spiral mark on her forehead, three vertical lines running down her face beneath her eyes. There were spirals on the backs of her ears and triangular marks on the tops of her paws. Her eyes were a bright teal hue, tears falling from her eyes as she held up her paw to Humphrey. An unnatural, instinctual force pushed him to meet her paw with his own. Kacey glared at her hard, the rest of the wolves staring at them in confusion. Humphrey was just as confused as they were, however.

"Who are you?" Humphrey asked her.

"It's been so many years, I guess I was expecting too much for you to remember me," she replied sadly. She smiled weakly and looked back at him. "My name is Narami. I am your sister."

**A/N: Well, that was eventful! Thanks for reading! Also, thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, The-crazy-lone-wolf77, LilyandMe, the dark shadow, Alexander, and MoonTrekerAF for reviewing my last chapter! Also, I'd like to address something right here.**

**I am quite amused and slightly disturbed to see that so many people think I'm going to have Kala and Firetail mate. Guys, Firetail is the adopted son of Lily and Garth. Kala is biologically related to Lily and Garth, and Firetail is their adopted son. That would be like non-biological incest. Guys, the last thing I'm going to do is have Kala and Firetail mate. When I say the last, I mean literally, probably one the VERY last things I would do. They won't be mates; the fact that Kala had her first period and Firetail had his first boner on the same day was purely coincidental, not some kind of sick, twisted foreshadowing of intestinal mating. No, they won't be mates. Just…just no. Well, that's all! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	30. Family Reunion

The wolves stared at her in shock, Humphrey agape at what she'd just informed them of. This couldn't be true, there was no possible way! Yet Humphrey saw the truth in Narami's voice and heard the sincerity in her voice. Kacey seemed relieved, Humphrey somewhat amused by her reaction. He could, however, understand why she was worried; they were mates, and she didn't want any other she-wolves getting in their way. However, what Narami was saying…it didn't make sense! How could Humphrey have originated from this pack if he'd lived in Jasper all of his life? That's when he remembered: he hadn't lived in Jasper all of his life; he woke up there one day and ran into Kate in the forest.

He had no recollection of events prior to his waking that day, only that his name was Humphrey and he was a male grey-wolf. He knew not what rank he was (much less what the ranks were for that matter), where he'd come from, who his family was, or how he'd wound up in the Jasper forests. There were only three simple memories: his name, his sex, and his species. When Winston had found them in the forest, he'd asked Humphrey many questions that seemed utterly alien to him, the wolves confused as to his appearance in the territory and why he was there. Humphrey, at the time, was just as dumbfounded as to his whereabouts in Jasper as they were.

Now, this she-wolf he didn't remember claimed that he was her brother and that this was the pack he'd come from. No, that couldn't be possible. Humphrey would have remembered something when he woke, he wouldn't just be completely clueless! It didn't matter if he was young when he woke in Jasper, he'd have recalled the mountains, the painted wolves, his parents…he'd of at least remembered that he had a sister, but Humphrey was oblivious as to her existence as well! It was insanity; there was no possible way that she could be telling him the truth! It's not as though Humphrey could have walked to Jasper; the threat of Longfangs, D'Tyoni, Night Watchers and any other predatory animals residing in the mountains was too great, and a young wolf pup was easily susceptible to being preyed upon as means of an easy meal. The only way he could have arrived in Jasper was if someone took him there, but wouldn't he remember the wolf that brought him there?

"That can't be," Winston said, padding forward. Narami looked at him as he stood beside Humphrey. "We found Humphrey in the forest four years ago. He didn't have any scent on him save for his personal scent. He didn't remember anything; no friends, family, pack…he literally didn't know anything else save for simplistic pieces of who he was like his name, his gender, and his species. If what you're saying is true, then he should have at least remembered that. How can you say he's from this pack yet have no proof to back your claim?" Humphrey couldn't have put it any better than Winston had, demanding the proof that he needed to believe her.

A reed necklace was wrapped around her neck, a small piece of triangular sapphire hanging from it. She lowered her head and allowed the necklace to fall down. She caught it with her paw and held it up to Humphrey. Her eyes were still swimming, hidden behind a film of fresh tears. Whether it was from seeing him or from his inability to recall who she was, he knew not, but nevertheless, she held up the sapphire. There was something about it…something familiar.

"You made this for me when we were pups," she whispered. "You said you thought I'd like the sapphire because our eyes were bright blue back then. Mine have begun to turn a bit greener as I began to age, but I see that you have still retained your sky irises. You gave this to me three days before you went missing."

"What do you mean I went missing?" He growled. "It took us over a year to get from Jasper to this point. What makes you think I could have just walked over to Jasper as a two moon-old pup?" Narami placed the necklace back around her and then placed a paw on Humphrey's head. She began to push the fur on his forehead back, the wolves gasping at what they saw. Hidden underneath years of fur were the dim markings of the paint that the wolves of the Jagged Ice pack had traced into their fur. Narami gave a weak smile.

"There was a time when the D'Tyoni roamed these mountains in a terrible surplus," she replied. "In an effort to try and protect the bloodlines of the pack, the Shaman ordered that the pups be scattered outside of these mountains. We were all placed under the care of another wolf, and our father was caring for you at the time. The D'Tyoni were out to hunt us down in particular and used our scents to follow us, so we rolled in mud, water, scat, anything that would erase our scents and confuse the D'Tyoni.

"Our mother took me west, father taking you south. She told me to stay in the forest clearing until she came to get me, but she never returned. After two days, I walked back and encountered Saren; he brought me back home and told me that mother had been killed and that you and father never returned. I-I thought for years that you were dead, but as soon as I saw you enter the Ĝarnaw, I knew that it was you," she dipped her head to the paw prints on the wall. "Mother wanted us to put our paws in the white ochre we use to paint ourselves and make a record of our time together in this cave; our cave. She wanted us to see how much we'd grown later on in life…but mother and father never got the chance to see it."

Humphrey padded up to the cave wall and stared at the paw prints on the cave wall. He spotted the miniature prints that were clearly made by pups. One had a line down the pad, the exact same line Humphrey had on his own pad. He breathed shakily and pressed his paw to the cave wall, Narami doing the same with the print next to his. Their paws matched the form and structure of the prints perfectly. He closed his eyes and tried to reach out his mind as Scourge had done. He directed his concentration to Sam, thinking of the Dark Wolf, hoping to brush the presence of his Spirit Guide.

It didn't take him long for Sam to enter his conscience and flood Humphrey's mind with what he desired to see. Brief flashes of memory flew through his subconscious, his rapid eye movement increasing as he tried to capture the memories as they flew by at incredible speeds through his mind. He asked Sam if he could slow them down enough for him to grasp the memories better, but Sam regretfully denied his request, informing him that the visions of his past were too vague and deep for him to give them to Humphrey any clearer than he was already presenting them.

Suddenly, Humphrey saw two young grey pups playing about in the cave, a grey male watching them with a grin on his face, a grey-brown female readying a bowl-shaped object with a white substance inside. This, Humphrey presumed, was the 'ochre' that Narami had been talking about. She called the pups over happily, the grey male following closely behind them. There were only a few white markings on the heads of the pups, but the adult wolves were covered in their own markings. They all placed their paws in the bowl-object and placed their paws on the cave wall, when they pulled away; there were now four prints on the wall. The grey she-pup batted at the grey male pup's nose playfully, smudging some of the ochre on his face. He laughed happily and chased her about the den, the adult wolves following along with them.

He saw another vision, one where they were slightly older, perhaps two or three weeks after they placed their paw prints on the cave wall. The male pup presented the she-pup with a reed necklace that was slightly too large for her, a sapphire stone hanging from it. He shyly gave it to her, the she-pup's face lighting up with excitement and exhilaration from the gift. She licked him between his ears, the pup giggling as he was ticklish in that area. He was ticklish in that area, just like Kala…just like her father…

Humphrey opened his eyes, pulling his paw away from the cave wall. He turned to look at Narami, studying her. What she was saying was the truth; this was no lie, this was no joke: she was his sister, and this was his pack. He had somehow lost his memory, possibly due to a traumatic stress disorder in his early life as a pup or from temporary brain damage caused by an unknown source. He retained the long-buried memories and the markings to prove that what she said was true.

Narami looked at him with pleading eyes, hoping beyond hope that he'd see that she was telling the truth. He felt tears well in his eyes when the dawning realization washed over him. He knew it, she knew it, and the rest of the pack knew it: Humphrey and Narami were siblings, and this was Humphrey's pack. This…this was where the Jasper wolves belonged.

**Icerin**

**Two Hours Later**

The white wolf stalked forward, growling under his breath. Saren had made a grave mistake, and he needed to ensure that he didn't continue on with this terrible decision. He paced impatiently outside of Saren's den, waiting for him to come out. He knew that Saren's meditation was important, but this was a matter that was crucial for survival of the pack. Letting in all eleven new wolves in the pack was a horrific decision, and Icerin was keen on persuading Saren to think otherwise.

He looked down at the black ochre markings that covered his fur, seething. His status as the pack _Harko_ should have guaranteed him the blue ochre markings, the rarest of all to find. To be a _Harko_ and not receive such significant markings was an insult, it was a disgrace! He would make sure to talk to Saren about the issue after he expressed his concerns about the Jasper wolves. Of course, his standing would be in a worse position considering that his own mate thought that she was related to the Jasper Leader Wolf.

Icerin had tried to make her see common sense, to understand that he wasn't her brother, but he had watched from afar as she revealed the old, faded markings hidden underneath his fur. He refused to be the brother-in-law of that pathetic excuse of a Leader Wolf, and he would make Saren see reason. Finally, the black-furred Leader Wolf padded calmly out of his den. The Shaman walked out behind him, wandering off to another part of the Ĝarnaw. Icerin stalked up to Saren, fury emitting from him.

"I sense that you are displeased, Icerin," Saren observed. "Tell me, _Harko_: what ails you?"

"This is a bad decision, Saren," Icerin growled. "We don't know these wolves. Letting them stay in the Ĝarnaw for more than a minute is a bad call, but now you're letting them stay indefinitely?"

"Narami is Humphrey's sister, and I do remember Humphrey," Saren said. "We are his family, and we are his pack. It may be difficult to not give orders like he formerly did, but if he decides to stay with us, he will finally have biological family along with him."

"There's more to this," Icerin snarled. "You wouldn't allow this in any other circumstance! What is it, Saren?" The Leader Wolf considered for a while, choosing his words wisely. Finally, he knew what to say to the troubled _Harko_.

"The scars under his eye," Saren replied. "They form the Mark of Fenrisúlfur. The appearance of the divine object after Jasper was destroyed and the coming of the prophecy is no coincidence in this matter; if he bears the Mark of Fenrisúlfur, then he is the one that we have awaited for. I have no doubt that he is the prophesied grey wolf that will save us and stop the Great Wolf from destroying our transcendence to the realm of Fenrisúlfur."

"The scars could be a coincidence; there is no proof that they were given due to a prophecy, much less that he is the one in the prophecy. Besides, have you not taken into account that if there are two prophecies? There are several grey wolves in their group, and he could very well be the Great Wolf that we have feared. What if he is the destroyer of our transcendence?"

"Does he look particularly demonic and violent to you, Icerin?" Saren countered. "No, when we choose to reveal the object to them and what it will do for all wolf kind, then he will wholeheartedly help us. I believe he is the Grey, and he will lead us to divinity and everlasting peace beyond this life. Now please, I do not wish to continue this topic; we will have our feast tonight in celebration for the arrival of our guests, and you will behave yourself, Icerin. I don't want to cause trouble with them, especially not when the Leader Wolf bears Jagged Ice blood in his veins. If you do this and learn to accept him as your brother and packmate, I will see to it that you receive your blue ochre markings. We have discovered the materials to make anew the blue ochre once again, and I know that you'd like to have your _Harko_ marks donned with honor."

The proposal was tempting, but it didn't mean that Icerin was particularly happy that Saren was insisting upon the Jasper wolves' permanent stay amongst their ranks. Humphrey should have died years ago with his father, yet he was here now. He could not doubt that Humphrey was part of the pack, though; he still bore the old markings of the white ochre all pups were given at the age of four weeks. Still, Icerin knew that Saren would keep his word if he behaved himself around Humphrey and his pack; Saren was a good wolf, and he would see to it that Icerin received the proper Harko markings that he'd fought so hard to achieve if he followed through with Saren's simplistic request. He nodded to Saren and padded away, leaving the Leader Wolf sitting atop the ledge as the hunting patrols returned with prey.

**Kala**

When she first laid eyes upon the magnificent display of prey, Kala's mouth began to water in ravenous hunger, her belly growling ferociously at her, craving the food. The hunting patrols were quickly informed as to why the strangers were there and greeted the Jasper wolves kindly. She was impressed with the incredible feat that the hunting patrols had managed to accomplish; six caribou, two moose, and a badger were caught. Their plumb bodies gave off a succulent, amazing scent that Kala could not describe as anything more than breathtaking.

The packs padded to the prey and began to lie down beside the food, but the Jagged Ice pack began to do something that was quite odd. They didn't begin to dig into the prey like the Jasper wolves would; rather, they bowed their heads and closed their eyes, remaining perfectly still as they did so. Saren stood at the far end of the prey and bowed his head as well.

"Oh great and powerful Fenrisúlfur," he said. "Thank you for blessing our pack with another season of healthy prey. We would also like to thank you for sending the wolves of Jasper Park to our humble Ĝarnaw, and for returning a valued member of our family to us. May you reign supreme evermore, Fenrisúlfur." The rest of the wolves repeated the final line and with that, the feast began.

Kala began to tear her fangs into the belly of a moose, her teeth sinking into the tough flesh as she ripped away at it. Suddenly, she felt a light prod on her left. She looked up to see the blue-grey furred wolf, Faolan, standing there.

"My apologies," he said. "Is this spot taken?" He pointed to the empty space beside her. She smiled and shook her head, beckoning him to join them. He thanked her graciously and began to tear into the moose as well. She tore a sizeable chunk from the moose and let the meat slide down her gullet. Faolan looked at her curiously, Kala unable to understand why he was looking at her like that. He shrugged and began to eat, but the way he ate…it was quite odd.

Whereas Kala and the Jasper wolves were more savage to their eating habits, Faolan and the Jagged Ice pack took smaller, more delicate bites after they tore chunks from their prey. Kala flattened her ears in embarrassment, knowing that she must have seemed quite barbaric and rude to have eaten in such a way. She forced herself to eat as the Jagged Ice wolves did, but found it to be incredibly difficult. It was as though she was disciplining herself for no reason; how could any sane wolf eat this painfully slow?

Still, to be polite and respectful to their hosts, Kala forced herself to eat as they did. She looked to her left at the far end of the pile and saw that even the pups were eating with slow, small bites. She was bewildered to see any wolves eating like this; instinct told her to eat as she always did, her mind rebelling against what she was doing now. How could a wolf go against their instincts and eat like this? She assumed that it was some kind of odd ritual for the Jagged Ice wolves to take part in, but knew that if they ever left this pack, she'd never succumb to eating like this again! Her tail flicked to the left and crossed over Faolan's. The two drew their tails away, embarrassed, their faces flushing underneath their fur. Humphrey saw the two and smiled, amused. He nudged Kala playfully and encouraged her to strike up a conversation with the unfamiliar wolf. She hesitated, but then cleared her throat and looked at Faolan.

"Hi," she said shyly. "I-I'm Kala." He looked at her, surprised that she was talking to him.

"Faolan," he replied, his voice shaky with nervousness. Kala took condolence in this, knowing that at least she was not the only one of the two that were scared to talk to the other.

"Why do you have those marks on you?" Kala asked, breaking the silence again. He looked down at his legs, looking at the white, triangular marks on the sides. He tried to look at the triangular marks on his ears and the lines on his face, but quickly gave up when he figured out that he couldn't. Kala giggled at this, Faolan looking down in temporary embarrassment.

"We color ourselves," he replied. "To portray many aspects about ourselves; for example, the triangular marks on my ears symbolize my naming. Each wolf is given a different unique design after the naming ceremony. The vertical line on my forehead represents that I survived my first six weeks of life. The horizontal lines underneath my eyes represent that I survived my first year, and my leg markings represent my name and that I am a True Wolf."

"What's a True Wolf?" Kala asked. He seemed surprised that she didn't know, but explained it to her happily.

"After we succeed in our first hunt, survive our first year, and complete the Trials of Fenrisúlfur, we earn these markings and are declared True Wolves."

"What are the Trials of Fenrisúlfur?" She asked him.

"It's hard to explain," he replied. "It's when a wolf or she-wolf must go through the challenges of Fenrisúlfur to be officially declared as a True Wolf."

"Oh," she said, disappointed that he couldn't offer a better explanation than that. "Okay, so what's the naming ceremony?"

"We don't name wolf pups until after they have survived their first moon," he explained. "If they die and are named as a pup, then it brings great sadness and despair, so we wait for their first moon to arrive before we name the pups. It is a tradition set by the Law of the Ancient Packs." She nodded and they continued to eat the delicious prey until their bellies were full. This did, however, take a ridiculously long time considering the small bites they were agonizingly forced to take. Faolan looked at her.

"You know," he said, nervously. "There're a lot of cool caves I could show you around here, and I could show you some of the forest if you want." Kala's eyes brightened and she looked at her father pleadingly. He smiled and nodded.

"Just don't do any funny business," Humphrey told them, then grinned and recited a line from his mother-in-law. "I'd prefer for my daughter to keep her virginity for the rest of her life." Kala's eyes widened.

"DAD!" She exclaimed, mortified. He laughed and bopped her nose.

"So, should I meet you tomorrow?" Faolan asked her. She smiled and nodded.

"Definitely," she replied. "I'll be looking forward to it!"

**A/N: Not much for me to say this chapter. Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, LilyandMe, imjustlikehumphrey, The Silver Wolf, LoyalWolfHumphrey, and The-crazy-lone-wolf77 for reviewing my last chapter. Sorry for not updating last night, there's a lot going on in my life, but I'm not going to waste your time telling all of you about it. Until next time.**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	31. So, What's New?

Kala felt something odd inside of her. It was like a burning sensation that felt painful and good at the same time. It wasn't too extreme and she could easily ignore it, but it was indefinitely something that felt odd. She didn't know how to explain the sensation just that it was odd, a feeling she'd never had before. It confused her; she didn't feel like she'd eaten anything bad. It was impossible that the Jagged Ice pack had tainted the food for they had eaten from it as well. It didn't feel like she was sick, but then again, the worst sickness she'd ever caught in her life-and only sickness for that matter-was a light cold her first winter. She wondered if it was a bad moose, in which case Humphrey, Kacey, four wolves on the other side she didn't know, and Faolan would have been experiencing-if they weren't already-the symptoms that she was.

Suddenly, she felt the burning sensation heighten. She looked around at the wolves in the large cave and realized that every time her eyes passed over a male wolf, the sensation only grew more. She couldn't understand it, nor could she fully explain it. All that she knew as that every time she looked at a male wolf, she was instantly drawn towards him from some kind of deep, unknown source. She looked at her mother and noticed her twitching in her sleep. Her eyes suddenly shot open and she looked at Humphrey, a lustful look in her eyes. She raised a paw to prod him, but decided against it, forcing herself to look away, her jaw clenched as she did so. Her eyes kept flicking back to Humphrey, but she eventually got up and left the cave entirely. Kala wondered if she was experiencing the same thing that she was and decided to follow her.

Kacey walked to the right and sat down heavily on the stone ground, looking out over the forest and mountains beyond. Her claws scraped the rocks as she did so; it looked as though she it took every bit of her willpower to not move from that position. Kala padded up and sat beside her mother. She still found it a bit odd to call Kacey 'mom;' technically, she was her step mother, and having not grown up with a mother to begin with, Kala still found it odd to be calling her that.

"Mom?" Kala asked. Kacey looked down and smiled warmly at her.

"Oh, Kala," she greeted. "Is there something wrong?" She shook her head and explained to Kacey what was wrong with her. Kacey looked away and sighed heavily; Kala was concerned. What was wrong? She looked at Kala and made sure that they were alone.

"Kala," she said carefully. "Remember when I told you about how you'll be getting those periods every moon?" Kala nodded; how could she forget urinating blood every moon? Kacey sighed again. "Well, I didn't tell you about what they mean. When you have your periods, they tell you that you can mate. What you're experiencing is something that you'll go through for the rest of your life, something that every she-wolf goes through every spring. It's called 'heat.'"

"What's that?" Kala inquired, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"Heat is when a she-wolf has the insatiable, unstoppable urge to mate with a male wolf," she replied heavily. "It's easier when you already have a mate because your mate will understand the urges, but for she-wolves that have no mates, they have the urge to mate with any wolf that is male. As you're still young, I think that you'll be fine for this season. By next spring, however, you will want to mate with an incredibly urge that you can't stop. I've seen she-wolves rape males from the effects of Heat; it consumes your mind and changes you until you finally mate with someone.

"Kala, listen to me closely. There are males that will try to take advantage of you, and you have to keep a good head and not allow them to do that. You're far too young to be having pups despite feelings you think you have for a wolf. Do you understand?"

"Don't worry, Mom," Kala reassured her. "The last thing I want to do is have pups, much less get caught up in some dumb complicated love affair with another wolf. I understand, Mom. Thank you." Kacey smiled proudly at her and licked her between her ears. Over a year later, she was still incredibly ticklish in that area and she giggled gleefully from the touch of her rough tongue over her head.

They returned to the cave together and lied beside Humphrey. Kala saw a grin appear on his face when they returned, Kala smiling at her father as he did this. The three wolves curled together, enjoying the company of one another.

**Humphrey**

The morning approached faster than he expected, the sunlight streaming through the cave mouth and warming the wolves as they awoke. Humphrey stretched his limbs and yawned, his fangs glistening briefly in the sunlight. He looked at Kala and the dawning realization came upon him: this was the day the she was going to be shown the forest and caves by the other wolf, Faolan. He was happy that she was making friends, but there was a part of Humphrey that was suddenly incredibly protective of his daughter. Kala was a she-wolf, Faolan a male; they were planning on going off alone together, and she was still so young…

He contemplated telling her that she couldn't go; he didn't know Faolan and neither did Kala. The spring didn't make matters any better as she would be in a mild adolescent stage of heat at this point of her life. The last thing she wanted was for any wolf to take advantage of her, especially when she wasn't even two years old yet. This was a critical point of her life and Humphrey didn't have Kate with him to help her in this situation, and Sweets and Lily were she-wolves that-like Kacey-had not known love until later on in their lives anyway. Kate on the other paw had known Humphrey for the vast majority of her living lifespan and had more experience in this matter, especially with her Alpha status. With her gone, it was up to Humphrey to make the ultimatum and decide how she would shape her own future. The last thing he wanted was for her to make a rash decision that would end up costing her later on in her life.

Humphrey saw the blue-grey form of Faolan pad outside. Humphrey walked forward, giving a quick whistle to gain his attention. He looked back at him and padded towards Humphrey. Humphrey looked the wolf up and down; he seemed to look innocent enough, and from his actions the previous day, Humphrey guessed that he was an Omega in the Jagged Ice pack. Still, that didn't necessarily mean that he was to be trusted on a whim. Humphrey was about to speak when Faolan lied on the ground, twisting his head to grind the side of his face into the ground. He laid his tail out, his paws forward and claws sheathed. His ears were flattened to his head, his left eye peering up at Humphrey. For a moment, he was completely lost for words, unable to understand what in the world he was doing. In confusion, Humphrey voiced his question to the wolf. He responded, informing him that it was traditional custom to approach senior wolves with the correct submission postures to show their harbored respect for the wolf or she-wolf that the lowly wolves were talking to. _That's one hell of a submission posture,_ Humphrey thought. He told Faolan to get up, the wolf obeying him without a moment's hesitation. _Perhaps I underestimated him._

"So, you plan on taking my daughter to the forest and caves?" Humphrey questioned him. Faolan nodded with a dutiful 'yes.' Humphrey scrutinized the wolf, still not entirely sure of what to think of him. Was this the wolf that he wanted his daughter to be around, or was he the wolf he wanted her to avoid at all possible costs? "How far in the forest are you planning on going?"

"Just within the Ĝarnaw Vicinity Territory," he replied.

"How far out is that?" Humphrey asked him.

"Just a two mile radius, sir," Faolan responded. Humphrey nodded.

"These caves you were talking about," he said. "Where are they and what are they?"

"The caves are a vast labyrinth of old tunnels within the Jagged Ice Mountain across the Ĝarnaw from here," he explained. "They boast some of the greatest and treasured splendors of this pack, like the sapphire that Narami wears around her neck."

"Is it dangerous?"

"The only parts that are dangerous are the caves beyond the inner cavern. I don't plan on ever going back that far in my life, and I'll see to it that we don't go back there." Humphrey peered at the wolf; he seemed sincere, but there was something about him that Humphrey didn't like. He couldn't quite place his paw on it, but he had a bad feeling about Faolan.

"Look, Faolan," Humphrey growled. "My daughter is all that I have left, and if you touch her, if she comes back with so much as a fur out of place, I won't hesitate to end you. Do you understand?"

"Fully, sir," Faolan replied.

"Drop the 'sir' shit, pup," Humphrey told him gruffly. "It's not going to earn you any more or less respect. All you'll gain from it is my increased annoyance." Faolan nodded and Humphrey heard padding behind him. He turned to see Kala walking up. Humphrey's gaze softened when he saw his daughter and he smiled, almost forgetting that Faolan was there at all. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Dad," she replied with a smile. "Good morning, Faolan."

"G-good morning, K-Kala," he stammered. Humphrey rolled his eyes; the pup was going to need a lot of work if he was ever going to get a mate in the future. He knew for certain, however, that his mate would _not_ be Kala. Kala smiled at his response though.

"So, where are we going first?" Kala asked him.

"Ah, it doesn't really matter," he replied. "Is there anything you'd like to see first?"

"Well, I would like to see the territory," she replied. He smiled.

"Well then, let's go," he told her, beckoning with his tail. She smiled and then licked her father's face in goodbye as she departed. Humphrey watched as the two wolves walked out of the cave towards the forest. Succumbing to his fatherly instincts, he walked out and discretely followed them.

He ended up on a rocky ledge where he could see them walk away. They padded down the large hill and into the forest, disappearing the tree line. He sat down, his ears drooping slightly when he realized that for the first time in her life, Kala was going off on her own. He wasn't going to be able to watch over her this time; even when she didn't know he was her father, Humphrey would still watch over her as much as he could to ensure her safety. Now, she was…she was grown up. The thought of it hurt Humphrey more than he expected and he began to understand what Winston and Eve must have felt when they let Kate and Lily go. _At least,_ Humphrey thought. _I'm not letting Kala go just yet._

"WOLF PILE!" Kacey shouted behind him. He turned just in time to see her leap at him. They fell off of the edge, luckily the ground not far below it. They began to roll and tumble down the hill, crashing through the grass and plants until they came to a stop in a small clearing before the forest, Kacey lying on top of Humphrey. They laughed together, enjoying the moment together. As their laughter subsided, they smiled and stared into each other's eyes.

Kacey closed her eyes and slowly leaned forward, rubbing her nose with Humphrey's. The two leaned together and connected their mouths in a passionate kiss. Humphrey licked her muzzle and kissed her again and again, each kiss escalating greater. He felt Kacey's tongue on his face and he had an idea. He licked her tongue and guided it into his mouth, sliding his into hers as well. She began to gently suck on his tongue until the two realized that they could no longer breathe, the two breaking away from the kiss. She pressed her body against his, nuzzling him affectionately. Humphrey knew full well that she was in heat and her instincts were guiding her actions, but he didn't so much care; he wanted this just as much as she did.

Humphrey wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, their muzzles locking in another kiss. Soon enough, they began to kiss more viciously, lustfully, hungrily. Kacey dug her claws into the ground and she began to grind herself against Humphrey as they continued to kiss. Humphrey felt his wolfhood become erect, poking against her belly. She giggled and licked his cheek several times. From there, she began to inch downward towards his wolfhood. She nosed it, smiling. She tentatively licked it, eliciting a low, pleasured moan from him. She giggled and began to lick his wolfhood with increased intensity and speed. Humphrey's heart was pounding in his chest, the ecstatic feeling overtaking him. His tail wagged furiously as she did this. He whispered her name and moaned again, cum flying from his wolfhood and landing on his belly.

Kacey grinned and began to lick it out of his fur. When she finished, she licked her muzzle and smiled at him again. Before he could react, she took his wolfhood in her jaws and began to suck on it, moving her head in a thrusting motion, her tongue swirling around his wolfhood as she sucked incessantly on his wolfhood. His eyes widened and he exhaled deeply as he cummed in her mouth again, Kacey drinking the warm fluids. She pulled away and growled lightly, a seductive smile on her face. Humphrey rose to his paws and nosed her flank, Kacey giggling. She lied down, rolling over until her belly was skyward and her back was pressed against the ground.

Just as Kacey had done, Humphrey licked down her body. He began at her neck, licking her lightly. She sighed, smiling. He licked with increased force as he reached her chest, then her belly, and finally, her she-wolfhood. He nosed it and then began to lightly lick it. She flinched from the initial touch of his tongue, but forced herself to relax and then began to moan in ecstasy as he slid his tongue inside of her. Before she could climax, he pulled out. She looked at him and whimpered pleadingly. He grinned evilly, letting her know nonverbally that he was teasing her. She gave him a sly smile and spread her legs out for him.

He lowered himself down, sliding into her. She breathed out heavily from the amazing sensation, her chest rising and falling quickly. He waited patiently for her to prepare herself. They had already undergone mating intercourse before, but he knew that she might need time to prepare herself. She looked at him gratefully and exhaled deeply. She reached behind his neck and held on to him. She leaned into his ear and whispered, "Take me, my love." He smiled and licked her face. With that, he began to thrust into her.

She gritted her fangs together and slammed her eyes shut as he began to thrust into her. He felt her claws dig into his scruff, but that was nothing compared to the amazing feeling of being inside of his mate. His wolfhood was tightly squeezed by the inner walls of her she-wolfhood, only making the feeling better than ever. Judging by her behavioral response, it pleasured her just as much as it pleasured him. She began to pant heavily as her climax began to close in, an intense orgasm rapidly approaching. Humphrey began to slam further into her, feeling his knot becoming greater. He could release, but he held back, wanting to do so only at the very last moment.

"Humphrey," she gasped between panting moans. "I-I'm almost-I'm almost,"

"I know," he said, gritting his fangs and grabbing her waist. "I am, too." She began to pant heavily, Humphrey slamming into her as fast and hard as he could. Finally, neither of them could hold back anymore and they climaxed into one another. Kacey screamed in pleasure, Humphrey gasping as they became tied. He fell to his side, holding Kacey close to him. She panted heavily, saliva dripping from her jaws. She licked her muzzle and let a choked sob of happiness escape her. She buried her face in Humphrey's chest fur, their tails intertwining as they lied together. Humphrey nibbled her ear lightly, causing her to giggle. He licked her muzzle and the two looked each other in the eyes.

"I love you, Kacey," Humphrey whispered to her. Her eyes became glassy and she smiled widely.

"I love you, too, Humphrey," she replied. The two kissed again and rested together, knowing full well that they would be stuck in that position for quite a while. Their breathing patterns began to return to a more normal rate, their heartbeats slowing down as exhaustion wore into them. Humphrey grinned all of a sudden, an idea coming to mind.

"So, what's new?" He asked her. She burst out laughing, Humphrey joining in with her. Humphrey may have had many things taken away from him, but nothing could truly extinguish his sense of humor.

**A/N: Once again, not too much to say here. Thanks to Alexander, Dawn Walker Wolf, and the dark shadow for reviewing. Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	32. Faolan

It took Kala little more than the span of five minutes to realize something about Faolan: he was certainly the most inexplicably boring and socially awkward wolf she'd ever met in her life. She was astounded that any living creature could stutter every time he spoke to her as much as he did, and she was equally shocked that he could manage to make the greatest splendors of the forest that she had never seen before seem dull and overrated. She began to regret accepting his offer to show her the territory almost immediately. He was certainly more trustworthy than Humphrey had given him credit for, but neither of them had counted on Faolan making a conversation with a rock seem more exciting than spending a second on a territory tour with him.

It took all of Kala's willpower to force a smile and act as though she was having a fun time. Faolan seemed to be happy in his oblivious thoughts that she was actually enjoying herself, but Kala was ready to bang her head on a tree from the pure dullness of their walk. All that Kala could give him credit for was that he was still-admittedly-a quite attractive male wolf. There were just so many flaws with his personality that his physical appearance was dwindled to not mattering at all. He wasn't fun, funny, entertaining or cool…it was like a hollow, emotionless shell of a wolf. How he managed to stand himself was beyond Kala, and the last thing she wanted was to spend more time with him.

On the upside, Kala was fascinated by the forest despite Faolan's terrible tour guide skills. There were flora and fauna that she'd never seen before; incredible sights that she was astounded could exist in this world. The highlight of their journey through the forest was when Faolan took her to see the Forest of Stone. She was curious as to what that was so he explained that all of the plant life had been turned to stone in the forest many millennia prior. She laughed in disbelief, knowing that no such thing could ever happen. However, she was quickly silenced when it turned out to be just as he'd said: it was a true forest of stone. The plant life was petrified in a solid layer of stone, the textures of the plant life still very real and quite amazing in her eyes.

She asked him how such an event could occur that would turn the forest into stone, but he was unfortunately unable to give her an honest answer. He did, however, give her the popular speculated theories that the wolves of the Jagged Ice pack assumed of it. One theory was that the wolf god, Fenrir, and his mate, the wolf goddess, Fenrisúlfur had been angered by something another wolf or wolves did and punished the land for what they did, making it an inhospitable forest of stone. Another, more plausible theory to nonbelievers of Fenrir and Fenrisúlfur, was that a great mudslide had buried the forest in countless layers of rock and silt. Then, when it eventually moved away, the forest was turned into stone.

Faolan sat down on a stone tree stump as Kala explored the vast grey expanse of forest. Even the paw prints of centuries' old animals had remained imprinted on the ground. It was an incredible marvel to see such forest in this state. How could anything be this incredible? As much as the forest fascinated her, however, she was just as saddened by its fate. She found various oddly shaped mounds in the forest that were without a doubt animals that had been turned to stone as well. She rounded a bend and saw two wolves frozen in mid-walk. The two looked happy in their final moments before they were suddenly and abruptly frozen in the stone forever more. Whatever happened, be it a mudslide, the wrath of the wolf gods, or some other unknown occurrence, these wolves had no idea what hit them. She hoped that in their final moments they had not felt any form of pain or suffering; fortunately, it did not appear to her as though that was the case. They probably died peacefully, happily, enjoying the company of one another.

That's when she began to take pity on Faolan. He was only innocently trying to spend time with her; perhaps he didn't have any friends in his pack. Kala could relate to that in a way; not having a mother and father and being constantly mocked and jeered at by Firetail had taught her a lot about what it felt like to be alone in the world. When Humphrey and Kacey entered her life, she felt accepted and part of a family; perhaps that was what Faolan wanted, too, and he just wanted to have a friend. She grinned as an idea grew in her mind and she walked back to Faolan. He was peering inside of an old roost inside of one of the petrified trees, giving her the perfect angle she needed.

She veered off course until she was directly behind him. He was oblivious to her presence, intently staring inside of the hole as though he was searching for something. She shouted, "WOLF PILE!" and leapt onto Faolan, slamming him to the ground. He was surprised by this and his head darted about, trying to figure out what was going on. She jumped off and rolled on the ground in laughter. Faolan seemed to be scared out of his fur from the Wolf Pile, not understanding that it was just for fun. He looked at Kala with wide eyes, and then he broke out into a large grin and began to laugh as well. She held herself as her laughter shook her body. Finally, she took a deep breath and rolled back to her paws. Faolan's laughter and subsided to and she padded up to him, asking him where they would go to next.

He suggested the caves and she nodded, following him back to the Ĝarnaw. As they journeyed back, she asked him about the words she didn't understand like Ĝarnaw and _Harko_. He explained that 'Ĝarnaw' was the Ancient Wolf term for 'Pack Den,' _Harko_ being the Ancient Wolf term for the subordinate Beta class wolf. However, Beta was slightly different in the Jagged Ice pack than the definition that Kala knew. In the Jagged Ice pack, the Beta was the wolf that was second in command to the Leader Wolf and would be the successor of the pack if the Leader Wolf died prematurely. If the Leader Wolf was simply too old, he would give the pack's leadership to his or her pups. Saren, however, had no mate and no pups, so unless he mated and had pups of his own, the children of Icerin would be the successors of the pack.

She was interested by this and then asked him why the wolves of his pack had such odd names. He told her that they followed the Ancients closely and adopted the names of the Dire Wolves. Then, he proceeded to explain to her the meaning of his name. _Fao_ meant gift, and _Lan_ meant river. As he was born near the river of the territory, his mother had given him the name _Faolan_. Faolan was also the name of a legendary Dire Wolf that led the wolves to the new land in the time of the last Ice Age. He led them across a bridge of ice that crossed an ocean to follow the prey and save all of wolf kind. Kala was amazed by his understanding of legends and names, as well as how well informed he was of the origins of the Ancients.

He smiled and told her that where they were going would reveal to her how they knew so much of their heritage. For the first time that day, Faolan actually started to sound interesting. He led her to the side of the Jagged Ice Mountain and they began to climb up its precariously steep slope. Twice Kala slipped, but Faolan was able to help her back up. They reached a vertical crevice in the rocky slope, Faolan narrowly squeezing himself through the crack inside of the mountain. Kala followed him inside and tried to make her eyes adjust to the claustrophobic darkness that surrounded them.

Luckily, the strong eyesight of wolves allowed her to see inside of the crevice and follow Faolan. The light from the outside began to fade until they were in absolute shadow. The crevice began to widen, allowing more breathing room for the two wolves. Faolan warned her about evenly distributing her weight while they were inside as the tunnel floor was quite unstable and could easily prove dangerous if she fell through. They wound through the vast maze of tunnels in the mountain, the cool air inside freezing her to the core. Suddenly, she heard a loud crack from below. She peered down through the darkness and moved some of the dust on the ground, revealing a clear type of rock that was spider-webbed with cracks. Suddenly, she crashed through the floor as it collapsed from underneath her.

She yelped in fear as she landed in a subterranean stream within the mountain. Stalagmites and stalactites dotted the tunnel. Crystalline objects shown brilliantly off of the grainy walls, reflecting into the water as it flowed around her paws. A drop of water fell to her head between her eyes. She winced and looked up at a stalactite that was dripping individual droplets of water. She looked back up through the hole in the cave that she'd fallen through and saw Faolan leap down after her. He landed heavily in the water with a loud thud, water splashing over the two. He grinned sheepishly at her and she shook her head with a small smile.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, genuinely concerned. She was slightly touched by his worried tone for her.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she replied. They looked about the small tunnel and saw that the water flowed through a small crack that they couldn't traverse through, leaving only one way left for them to search to find a way back out of the tunnels: forward. Still, she had to ask him first. "So, I'm guessing this is our only way out?"

"It looks to be that way," he replied, looking down the shining tunnel. "Well, she-wolves first," She smiled and flicked her tail at him as she led the way through the tunnel. They twisted and wove through the rocky obstructions in their way, several times having to crawl through the stream to continue on. The tunnel seemed to have no end and Kala began to despair of ever getting out of the tunnel. Then, they came across a fork in the tunnel. They stood there in a fit of indecision, unable to figure out what way they should go.

Faolan began to walk down the left tunnel, Kala following behind him. Eventually, they came across a dead end and were forced to backtrack through the tunnel and take the right path instead. This tunnel wound upward until they were forced to dig their claws into the rock so they could get a better paw-hold as they climbed higher. Suddenly, the rock crashed down again, but as it turned out, they crashed back into the original tunnel.

They breathed sighs of relief and Faolan asked her if she still wanted to see the rest the cavern. She smiled and nodded, Faolan leading her through the winding tunnel until it opened into a vast cavern. Multicolored rocks shined off of the walls; emeralds, rubies, diamonds, gold…all of the most beautiful rocks Kala had ever laid eyes on were embedded in the rock walls. Faolan walked about the stone floor examining the markings left on the stone around them. Kala padded towards him and asked him if he could read any of it. He nodded and began to recite one of the stories. Kala sat down, closing her eyes as she let her mind wander free and visualize the story he recited to her.

_ In the beginning of our world there were many species that warred against one another. As odd as it seemed, humanity was the species that had banded together the quickest to make civilization. Wolves, however, were the most violent of all species. The great Dire Wolves prowled the earth, savagely tearing each other apart and killing one another until the oceans ran red with blood and the ground was churned by the gnashing of tooth and fang._

_ The wolves were suddenly and inexplicably halted abruptly one bloody night by two wolves that had mated and become one. These were the great Ancients, Fenrir and his mate, Fenrisúlfur. They halted the war and established what was now referred to as the Law of the Ancient Packs. They began to spread across the world and their records were written in mountains similar to Jagged Ice. They searched for something, an ancient object that would bring wolves to divinity and peace. This object was dubbed by all living species as _(Faolan said that this part was scratched out and worn, therefore unable to read)_. It was not of origin from the world and the first was banished to the ocean many millennia prior by an evil being known as the Great Wolf. When Fenrir and Fenrisúlfur had died, they established the order of the Traveling Spirits where the deceased wolves that were good of heart and mind would be granted a place in their starry ranks. To this day, the object of divinity was lost in the ocean by the forces of the Great Wolf, but that the rest were still scattered about the stars and on the earth._

Faolan ended the story here and told Kala another thing that was quite interesting: he knew where one of the objects of divinity was located. He led her to the side of the cavern and they began to walk up the sides that were cut into the rocky walls. They walked upward until they were beyond the ceiling above. That's when Kala saw it: a massive stone object resting on a blackened pedestal. It was like two winding stone artifacts wrapped around one another, two pieces pointing up the sky where an opening in the sky was located, allowing sunlight to stream in.

Shadows swarmed around the object, whispers in the darkness speaking to Kala. There were ominous, crimson markings across the stone. She was drawn towards it by an unknown source, yet felt as though she was not worthy to be in the presence of such a great object. She heard a voice screaming for her to leave, to run away from the mountain and get as far away as possible, but the object beckoned to her.

"What is it?" She asked him.

"It goes by many different names," Faolan replied. "This is one of the great objects of divinity. The prophecies tell us that when one rises, it will summon the rest to allow the original to rise from the ocean depths and make our species great again; we'll be the dominant species on the earth once again."

"What is it called, though?" Kala inquired.

"I'm not really sure," he admitted. "Saren and the Shaman talked about it a few times, but I think I'm the only other wolf that knows about this place and they won't share any information with us. All I know is that this will save wolf kind when the prophesied Grey Wolf comes to harness its power. Kala…I've overheard Saren and the Shaman, and they think that the prophesied one is your father."

**A/N: Ominous ending! Or is it? Could this be a good thing or will be a bad thing? Is Humphrey the Legend of the Grey or is it a prophecy misinterpreted? Why am I asking YOU all of these questions? Only time will tell! Thanks to MoonTrekerAF, imjustlikehumphrey, the dark shadow, Dawn Walker Wolf, LilyandMe, and The-crazy-lone-wolf77 for reviewing my last chapter! Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	33. Alpha or Omega

Kala had never been more relieved to be outside of the tunnels. When they finally escaped and made it out of the darkness of the Jagged Ice Mountain, she collapsed on the ground in pure glee to be on the outside world again. Faolan was perplexed as to why she did so, but didn't ask her why, supposing that she wasn't used to mountainous caverns as he had been born and accustomed to. There was still, however, the object that was inside of the mountain's core. It had whispered to her…and there had been something odd about it that she couldn't place. It was almost as though there was something inside of the object…something that was very much alive, held captive within the stone. Faolan did not seem to take note of the creature or was already self-aware of its presence, as he did not bring mention of it.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts of the thing inside of the stone object and thanked Faolan graciously for giving her the tour of the Jagged Ice territory. Without waiting for a reply from him, she hurried back to the large cave they had taken refuge in. Everywhere she went, she saw symbols on the rocks and trees; ancient markings that she'd not noticed before, nor would she have had Faolan not presented the object to her while they were within the tunnels. There was something eerie about the symbols, and the red markings flashed though her mind at unnatural speeds, her conscience barely scanning over them as she did so. She heard, as she left, Faolan try to say something to her, but she'd left him on the mountain before he could tell her anything. She pitied him, but knew that she had to return to the cave or risk being late to Scourge's training session.

Ever since they first began to train fight, Scourge had offered to train and hone her abilities several times a week. She had thanked him and accepted his courteous offer, knowing that the things he could teach her would prove to be important in the future. Unfortunately, Firetail had all-too-quickly caught on to their whereabouts and demanded that he be taught how to fight as soon as his leg had healed. Scourge gruffly gave in and allowed him to join after he'd regained full strength in his leg.

At first, he'd trained the two separately as to prevent past hostilities and any more rivalry between the two that could prove to be dangerous, but after a while, began to train them together. Sometimes, he'd pit the two against one another in a sparring match as to gain better experience against fairly evenly matched foes (Scourge fighting the two wasn't exactly the most fair of fights). This led to several near-violent situations that Scourge had broken the two up from to prevent them from harming one another or themselves. Kala wasn't too disappointed by this, but she could tell her cousin didn't bear the same mutual feelings toward this decision.

She returned to the cave, but Scourge met her outside and warned her against going inside. She inquisitively asked him why, but he insisted on ushering her away from the cave. She heard noise inside, but couldn't tell what it was. As they walked towards the forest, Scourge explained to her what the noises were and she cringed in horror and pure disgust. She knew that this meant she'd never truly be able to look at her packmates the same ever again. Scourge changed the topic and informed her of what their training exercises would consist of on this day.

As initially presumed (and still dreaded) she would be pit against Firetail again. This time, however, it was practice for an event they'd be performing later that night that was ritual to all wolves. This ritual was a dominance battle. He explained that the fight for dominance between the two meant they'd have to fight until one of them backed out, was rendered unconscious, or was no longer able to fight. No killing would be permitted as leadership dominance battles did. This was perfectly fine with Kala, though she couldn't say the same for Firetail. He'd resented her existence all of her life and had blatantly left her behind when traveling from the Small Grounds to the mountain pass. He would be vicious, ruthless, and all too ready to inflict as much physical pain to her as was possible without killing her.

She asked Scourge if it was truly necessary for the dominance battle to commence at all, but he nodded and explained that as the youngest members of the pack, dominance was to be determined when decisions of pack rank were made. All wolves at one point of their life or another would undergo a dominance battle to decided between the ranks of Alpha and Omega. Some wolves were classified without any form of dominance fights depending on physical fitness, endurance, mental strain testing, and many other such non-violent tasks. Kala asked if she could do this instead, but Scourge rejected her request; she and Firetail appeared to be all too equal in those types of evaluations and made the dominance battle the only logical way to determine rank and class.

He led her to the center of the clearing, but Firetail was nowhere in sight. Scourge growled in annoyance from the young wolf's absence and howled out to him, trying to summon him to the training session. His howl went unanswered and he called out again and again, but Firetail never replied and never showed up. Scourge growled and stalked off to find him, leaving Kala alone to ponder the events that would be ensuing later that night. The whole pack would be watching her, evaluating her as she and Firetail did battle to acquire dominance. She had the biological blood of both ranks flowing within her, but Firetail's parents' were unknown, as they'd been killed in the Great War. That said, she had far much more to lose in terms of respect in this battle, possibly even earning the disgrace of her father and stepmother if she failed.

Scourge eventually returned with a bitter scowl on his face as he explained to her that Firetail had incessantly refused to train against 'an inferior foe' before the dominance battle and insisted on training by himself. When Kala asked if he'd actually been training or not, Scourge growled and told her that he'd been drawing small symbols in the ground of the likes he'd never seen before, fooling around before the training. Firetail had always been a slacker in the eyes of the pack, but Kala was still shocked that he'd turn down the chance to train before such a crucial moment in their lives. Dominance was too important to ignore, and his overconfidence would likely lead to his utter downfall. This was not going to turn out well for him, Kala was quite certain.

She scolded herself then for letting overconfidence get the better of her. Despite Firetail's laziness would indefinitely leave him less prepared than he could be, but his ferocity in general combat was on his side. Kala took a slower approach in combat, focusing more on defensive maneuvers rather than offensive. This, Scourge explained, was what could potentially lead to her downfall in combat. Now, Scourge was teaching her several new moves to use against Firetail in the dominance battle. One move included a savage whip of the paw that-when claws were unsheathed (and they wouldn't be)-could easily gouge out a wolf's eye. The second was just as deadly: a slide underneath the opponent where, once again, if claws were unsheathed, would give the attacker the ability to tear open the opponent's belly. In this case, however, it would be used to batter him in the belly and crotch area, knocking the wind out of him. The third and final move he taught her was perhaps the most intricate of the three.

It was a move that required precision, timing, and incredible endurance and agility. The movement of the attacker was that he or she was to get enough room between the opponent and make a running leap into the air. When the attacker was airborne, he or she was to twist their body around in midflight and rake their claws into the hide of the opponent. It would be caught off guard and would allow the attacker to deliver the death blow by tearing out the Life Blood of the opponent. In the dominance battle, however, Kala could twist herself in a way to batter Firetail to the ground and get a hold on his scruff, slamming him to the ground long enough for her to pin him there. She was able to successfully pull off the first two maneuvers, but the third she was incapable of performing.

Scourge did, however, dismiss this. It was not necessary at this point and wasn't as effective save to use as a last ditch maneuver in a desperate, losing battle to the death. They padded back to the cave, Kala still dreading that she might see the wolves mating inside of the cave. She began to scent something to the left when they exited the forest. She went to investigate and Scourge watched her. It was an odd, heavy, musky scent lingering in the air. As she found the area it was strongest, she scented the ground and noticed that the grass was flattened and the ground was slightly churned and dilapidated. She knew what had happened here, and she soon was able to pick up the scents of the wolves that had performed the love-making act: Humphrey and Kacey.

**Humphrey**

He and Kacey and returned from the bottom of the hill nearly two hours after they'd started mating. When they were able to become untied, they realized that they didn't want the moment to end and decided to turn what was a mere fifteen minute mating session into an hour and forty five minute mating session. Kacey was giddy and slurred, seemingly drunken to a stupor from the mating. As they returned to the cave, she was murmuring lighthearted gibberish and giggling, several times almost falling back down the hill in her physically exhausted state.

Humphrey found her to be incredibly entertaining when she was like this, laughing at her stupendous reactions as they continued up the hill. The few words that he could actually make out from her speech were slurred and dazed like Kate and Humphrey had been when the humans had captured them in Jasper. This, however, was not due to humans; this was Humphrey's own doing. His heart felt like it was going to burst, his mind whirring with ecstatic energy as they rested together in the cave. As it appeared, Garth and Lily as well as Salty and Sweets had mated as well. Scourge was nowhere to be found and Winston had wandered off to explore the Ĝarnaw, conversing with the elder wolves of the Jagged Ice Pack. Firetail also appeared to be missing and Kala had still not returned from her trip with Faolan.

At any other time, he'd be frantically searching for her, but his exhaustion and deluded mind made it impossible for him to focus on her. The only thing he was thinking about was how amazing Kacey felt. They slumped down together, Kacey crawling underneath Humphrey's foreleg and lying her head underneath his. He smiled and rested his head over the crook of her neck, holding her tightly to him. They intertwined their tails and fell into a peaceful rest together. At one point, Kacey had returned to consciousness and mischievously fit her body underneath Humphrey and tried to get him to mate with her again. Humphrey, however, licked her face and teasingly dry-humped her for a few moments before pulling away. She whimpered and begged to mate again, but Humphrey had no wish to mate another for a while.

Within a few moments of his rejection to her feeble request, she slumped back down and fell asleep. Humphrey pulled her close again and slept with her as the day wore on. When the sun began to set, Humphrey awoke once more and gave a long yawn. He blinked exhaustion from his eyes and rose, arching his back and stretching his aching limbs. He looked down at his sleeping mate and smiled warmly, leaning down to nuzzle her. She moaned in her sleep and shifted positions, looking the other way. Humphrey grinned and began to lightly nibble her ear playfully and licked her face. She began to giggle and blinked her beautiful, dark pink eyes at him.

He helped her to her paws and she stretched, Humphrey unable to resist watching her. The sun shined past the mountains onto her fur, making it appear a golden-brown once again, the slender curves of her body seductively attracting Humphrey. She noticed this and giggled, then flicked him in the face with her tail, snapping him out of his dazed, love-drunk, lustful trance. She padded towards the cave mouth, smiling at him. Humphrey followed and the two walked back to the Ĝarnaw where the food was once again being placed. Kala returned from the forest with Scourge; this surprised Humphrey, still thinking that she was with Faolan. At the same time, however, he was relieved by this. Just because he allowed his daughter to go off with him didn't mean that he fully trusted the young wolf as of yet.

Kacey and Humphrey lay down beside a caribou, Kala looking at them coldly. Humphrey was confused to see her glaring at them like that, and he was even more surprised when she decided to rest beside another caribou. He dismissed himself from Kacey momentarily and padded up to his daughter. She ignored him when he arrived, but he licked her between her ears again, Kala's body convulsing as she did her best not to laugh.

"Is there something wrong, Kala?" Humphrey asked her, concerned. Then, a thought came to his mind and he seethed. "Did Faolan do anything to you?"

"No, Dad," Kala growled, her voice proving that there was no room for disagreement, a look of sincerity and truth in her amber-hued eyes. "Faolan didn't do anything, and I actually had fun today. Unfortunately, I discovered that you and Mom had quite a bit of fun as well." Humphrey's ears flattened him shameful embarrassment; she must have scented the place they had mated. Now it made sense to Humphrey why she was angered. Kala still loved her biological mother despite never truly knowing her, and Kate was even her Spirit Guide. She may have accepted Kacey as her stepmother, but she obviously did not approve of the two mating.

Humphrey nodded, looking down. He murmured his apologies and promised to talk to her later. She grunted and began to dig into the caribou as Humphrey stood up to return to Kacey. As he did, Faolan padded past him. Humphrey quickly stood in his path, Faolan looking surprised to see him.

"So, Faolan," Humphrey said coldly. "How was your tour?"

"It was good," Faolan replied. "I don't think that Kala exactly enjoyed herself through for the most part, though; at least, not until we reached the Forest of Stone. We ran into a bit of a problem in the caves in the mountain, but nothing that would particularly endanger us or anyone else. That part, it seemed, she did quite enjoy." Humphrey nodded in understanding and allowed Faolan to continue on his way. He looked back and watched the young blue-grey wolf lie beside Kala, his daughter flashing him a friendly smile and moving over to allow him room to eat as well.

Humphrey remembered how he'd teasingly joked to her about having her first crush, but now that it appeared to actually be happening, he felt his overprotective nature of her peak. He didn't know Faolan; the majority of the wolves in the pack were strangers to him save for Narami and Saren. Now Kala was possibly taking a liking to this young wolf? He didn't like it, and he most certainly didn't fully approve of it.

He lied beside Kacey and scowled. She looked at him, perplexed. She decided against trying to make him talk about it and the two just continued to eat. They heard the zealous complaining of a wolf and they looked up to see Narami padding towards them, Icerin looking quite angry about it. She lied on the other side of the caribou and greeted Kacey and Humphrey. The she-wolves took no time at all to begin socializing, Humphrey and Icerin remaining stubbornly silent. Eventually, Icerin got up and stalked away, Narami clearly hurt by his response. She frowned and looked down.

She apologized to them and, despite their pleas for her to stay, she padded away after Icerin, her tail drooping. The two ate in silence for a while before Saren approached them. He greeted them with a friendly smile.

"Do you mind if I join you, Humphrey and Kacey of Jasper?" He asked them.

"Not at all," Humphrey replied, beckoning him to eat with them.

"I'm not quite from Jasper, though," Kacey corrected him with a small smile. "I'm still fairly new to Humphrey's pack." The two looked at each other, smiling.

"Where are you from?" Saren asked curiously.

"Another pack far away from Jasper," she replied. "We went by a lot of names, though; our Leader Wolf never really seemed to be able to make up his mind as to what we should dub ourselves. He was quite…erratic in nature. We did, however, go by the name of Swift River for a while." He nodded. Then, he looked at Humphrey.

"If you do not mind my inquiry," he asked. "May I ask how you acquired those odd scars under your eye?" Humphrey swallowed a piece of caribou meat and clenched his jaw. He took a breath and replied.

"My former mate, the one that birthed Kala," Humphrey explained. "Inflicted these scars when I left her without informing her of where I was going."

"Why did you leave your mate?" Saren asked. Kacey, too, seemed to be quite interested and perplexed as to why he did so.

"I was receiving visions for many moons," Humphrey replied. "They foretold of Jasper's destruction, messages sent from my Spirit Guide. I knew that she'd insist on accompanying me if I told her about it, and since she was pregnant, I couldn't allow that, so I left and gave a message to her father, Winston, when she awoke. When I returned, she was furious and she gave me these scars." Saren nodded.

"What happened to your mate?" He asked. Humphrey stiffened and his jaw clenched. He sank his claws into the ground, scraping the rocky earth. Kacey looked sorrowfully at her mate and licked his cheek. She looked back at Saren.

"That's," she said coldly. "Not a subject we'd like to discuss."

"I understand," Saren replied, standing. "I apologize for your loss, Humphrey of Jasper and Kacey of Swift River. Before I go, however, I would like to ask about this dominance battle. Is this the final stage of the Trials?"

"No," Humphrey replied. "We aren't familiar with the trials. This is just a simple, non-violent superiority duel between the youngest of our pack." Saren considered his words and excused himself, leaving the two alone together. The wolves began to disperse save for those of Jasper and several other Jagged Ice wolves. Many of them were quite exhausted and fatigued, clear evidence that the Jasper wolves were not the only ones that had mated that day.

Firetail padded up to Garth and Lily, talking to them in hushed tones. He growled and glared at them, Garth eyeing his son coldly. He sighed and got up, padding to Humphrey.

"Firetail wants to get this over with," he said. "Are you all ready?" Humphrey nodded and Kacey walked over to retrieve Kala. The Jasper wolves walked to the forest, Scourge leading the way towards the clearing he and Kala had sparred in earlier. Faolan, too, was trailing after them.

"This is our own pack's business," Humphrey growled at him.

_"Dad!"_ Kala hissed at him. She looked back at Faolan and smiled warmly at him. "Come along, Faolan! We'll be happy to have you along!" He smiled again and fell into step with Kala. Humphrey shook his head and growled.

The wolves arrived in the clearing, all of them circling around the clearing. Humphrey, Kacey, Kala, and Faolan stayed on one side, Garth, Lily, and Firetail on the opposite. Winston, Scourge, Salty, and Sweets remained to the other sides. Scourge stepped forward.

"Tonight," he announced. "We decide which of these two young wolves, Kala, the Wolf of the Stars, and Firetail, the Wolf of the Sun." Kacey smiled with pride, happy to see that Scourge had mentioned their name meanings. Ever since she'd been accepted, she had informed the wolves of the meanings of their names. Scourge continued. "Remember, there are to be no unsheathing of claws and no shedding of blood. He or she that does so first will be immediately declared the inferior while the other assumes reigning dominance. Is this clear, pups?"

"It is, sir," Kala and Firetail replied in unison.

"Then let the dominance battle commence and may you transcend from puphood, to wolfhood." He stepped back and allowed the contestants into the makeshift clearing arena. Garth and Lily whispered words of encouragement to Firetail, but he shrugged them off and stalked into the center of the clearing. Humphrey and Kacey encouraged her to do her best and nuzzled their daughter affectionately. She thanked them and began to walk into the clearing. Before she could, however, Faolan dashed out and licked the side of her face, whispering 'Good Luck' into her ear. She smiled and thanked him as Faolan returned to the sides. Humphrey glared coldly at him, but quickly returned his attention to his daughter as the two met in the clearing.

Kala stood a tail's length from Firetail, her eyes hard and bearing determination. Firetail growled and sank to a hunter's crouch, Kala following suite, cautiously circling him. He snarled and leapt at her. She rolled underneath his leap as he crashed into the ground. She quickly sprang to her paws and skidded to a halt, whipping around to see Firetail bearing down on her. She flicked her right forepaw at him and batted him in the nose. He tumbled over, but quickly regained his bearings and sprang upward, once more ready to fight her. Kala waited for him to make a move, but he remained stubbornly resistant to doing so. She growled and leapt at him, but he was expecting this. He leapt up and barreled into her with a forceful impact that sent her sprawling into the clearing. Humphrey, Kacey, and Faolan barked at her to get up. Lily and Garth encouraged Firetail to keep up the pressure, and Winston, Scourge, Salty, and Sweets remained silent, indifferent as to who won the dominance fight.

Kala got to her paws, winded by his impact. Firetail charged her again, but Kala dodged him, rolling to the side and out of the way of the aggressive wolf. He snarled and told her to fight, Faolan encouraging her to do just that. Her eyes briefly darted over to the wolf and she smiled a bit from his encouragement. She looked back at Firetail and growled at him. He charged again, this time Kala meeting his charge. She dove underneath him, sliding on her back. She beat his belly and crotch area savagely with her hind paws. He yelped when she delivered a sharp blow to his wolfhood, sending him sprawling to the side.

Kala seized the immediate initiative and charged him once more. She slammed on him, pinning him to the ground. She grabbed his scruff in her jaws and slammed him to the ground. He grunted and she did it again and again. There was an audible crack and Firetail's eyes widened. He released a scream of agony and beat her away, clutching his jaw. He glared at her, hatred burning in his eyes. He saw something on her paw and snarled at her.

"_Rheynak_!" He spat savagely at her. The wolves stared at him, shocked. _Rheynak_ was the Ancient Wolf term for 'Cursed' or 'Wicked.' To be called a _Rheynak_ was a disgraceful, horrific insult to the wolf or she-wolf that the disgusting term was used towards. He stalked off as Kala pulled herself to her paws. There was a brief moment of silence, and then, ecstatic rejoice. The wolves crowded around her, congratulating her and cheering for her. Even her aunt and uncle were happy for her. Faolan exclaimed that it was one of the most impressive things he'd ever seen and that she should be proud of the feat that she'd accomplished.

It was the greatest moment of Kala's life; she'd proven herself to be the dominant wolf in the pack and had finally achieved the title of 'she-wolf' in the pack. Just as her biological mother, Kate, Kala was proven to be the rank of Alpha. Winston would begin her full Alpha training soon enough, despite that she was two months over the average age that pups would be admitted into Alpha training. Whatever happened, though, she was happy to have proven herself and gained a rightful, earned place in the pack. Through the congratulating embraces of her pack, Kala could see Firetail in the forest, tears streaming down his face. He glared angrily at her before stalking away.

**A/N: Well, there you have it everyone! Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, LilyandMe, MoonTrekerAF, the dark shadow, Alexander, and imjustlikehumphrey, LoyalWolfHumphrey, and The-crazy-lone-wolf77 for reviewing my last chapter! So, what's going to happen next? Also, I need name for a female OC I want to implement soon. If you have any suggestions for names, make sure to PM me or post it in a new review! Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	34. An Old Enemy

_Humphrey awoke and looked upward to find himself face-to-face with a Longfang. Its sightless face stared at Humphrey, its jaws parting slightly and its massive slit nostrils flared. It bore its massive fangs and growled at him. Humphrey's eyes widened, his blood running cold, his heart stopping, and his breathing merely short, brittle gasps as he watched looked into the pale face of the Longfang. Its long claws tapped on the ground, its serpentine tail flicking about. Humphrey looked around him, finding nothing but a dark, forbidding forest surrounding him. His eyes returned to the Longfang and he launched himself away from the Longfang, sprinting away from the creature and into the trees._

_ He could feel as much as hear the deep, ragged, fetid breath of the Longfang on his haunches as it relentlessly pursued him through the forest. His eyes darted to the sides as he could see more and more of the hideous abominations running after him through the forest. Humphrey picked up speed and ran faster and faster through the forest. Suddenly, a great wind crashed through the trees and the forest began to freeze, encased in a thick layer of snow and ice. The leaves shattered into dust and the temperature significantly decreased. He ran out of the trees and found himself on a vast, expansive plain of ice. _

_ The demonic cry of the Longfang reverberated from the forest behind him. Humphrey spared a glance back and then darted out towards the distant mountains. His mind fell back to the events of his last nightmare like this. He had not been chased by Longfangs but by some other hideous monstrosity horde. He remembered that the mountains had crashed around him and forced him to a terrible, dark stone object resting on the ice. He remembered who came out from behind it…No, don't think about that! Humphrey snarled. He knew he was in a dream, but his awareness didn't help the matter, and he couldn't close his eyes; not in any nightmare was he ever able to do so._

_ Taking his chances, Humphrey made way for the mountains. This time, however, they proved to be real and did not crash around him. He scrambled up the side of the nearest mountain and found a cave that was almost sealed with an ice-shield door. He dove inside of the cave and out of the grasp of the Longfangs behind him._

_ The door slammed shut behind him, the sound echoing throughout the tomb-like ice caverns. He glared at the door, half expecting one of the creatures to burst through it and force him to run again. He waited, but nothing happened; he was alone in the cavern, the ice door frozen to the ground where it had slammed down. He turned back and let his eyes adjust to the dim light. The ice was illuminated very slightly in a pale light glow, meaning that somewhere up ahead, there was some source of light. Figuring that he had better chances heading towards the source of light rather than standing there and doing nothing, he began to walk through the frozen caverns and tunnels._

_He looked up at the icy ceiling and was instantly reminded of how incredibly dangerous it was to be in the caves. Long, deadly icicles hung precariously from the ceiling, their jagged pointed tips able to cleave him in half if one of them fell. He exhaled lightly, calming his senses and clearing his muddled conscience. He walked through the ice tunnels, his course pads providing the suitable friction he required to prevent himself from slipping down the cave. Whenever he saw snow on the sides, he'd carefully walk over and tread through it, his pace quickening as he walked forward. When the snow faded, he'd return to his careful downward pace as he walked downward and into the dark recesses of the mountain. _

_As the tunnel ended, he found himself in a massive, spacious cavern. Light streamed from a hole in the ceiling hundreds of meters high, illuminating the cavern in the light blue glow that he'd seen progressively brighten as he went through the mountain. In the core of cavern was a deep pit opening like a vast maw leading into the darkness far below. He walked up to the edge and kicked an ice stalactite down into the pit. The shadows quickly swallowed the icicle. He waited, listening intently. Ten seconds went by, twenty, thirty…finally, on the forty-third second, he heard the small echo of the icicle as it hit the ground far below. Humphrey had never been good at calculations, but he was able to determine well enough that falling down the pit wasn't going to turn out in his favor. However, a long, semi-narrow expanse of ice bridged the gap where he could continue into the caves beyond and hopefully find an escape from the mountain._

_He placed a tentative paw on the bridge and instantly felt himself slip. He reeled back, his eyes wild as he looked at it in fear. He peered around the cavern but saw no other ways across, and the tunnels had all led to this cavern where he'd come. The ice bridge was his only way across, leaving no alternatives for him, and he doubted the ice door would hold the Longfangs at bay for long. He unsheathed his claws and dug them into the ice, giving him a better hold on the ground. He placed a paw forward and dug his claws into the ice immediately. He slipped ever so slightly, but the claws held fast and kept him steady. He slowly began to cross the bridge, digging the claws into the ice one step at a time._

_It was slow, tedious, monotonous work as he trekked over the dark maw. He forced himself to avoid his eyes from looking down the pit, focusing on the bridge and nothing but the bridge. It was well over two hours before he was able to reach the end. Not wishing to remain on the bridge anymore, he unsheathed his claws and launched himself to the other side. He dug his claws back into the ice when he touched down on the end and breathed a tired sigh of relief, happy to back on ground that he wouldn't fall off of. There was one tunnel leading out of the vast cavern, so he padded towards it, once more leading himself into the darkness. His eyes feebly attempted to adjust to the dim light of the cave, but it was incredibly difficult for him to do so. _

_The light didn't reach this far into the caverns, and he eventually found himself in absolute, claustrophobic darkness. He felt as though he was being crushed on all sides, his chest tightening and his breathing becoming ragged. The darkness disoriented him, making it impossible to truly tell if he was going up, down, or heading to another drop that surely kill him. He heard something up ahead and his vision began to steadily improve. He walked ahead and followed the sound, hoping to find something that could help him escape. Instead, he rounded the next bend and found the very thing he so despised: there was a lone human tending to his tent, hammering it into place. _

_His eyes burned with insatiable fury as he glared at the hated creature. He unsheathed his claws and gave a feral growl, baring his fangs. His ears flicked back, his eyes slitting and darkening as a red haze came over his vision. He saw behind the human a dark she-wolf come into view. Her neck and belly were torn open, blood flowing onto the ground as she walked. Her crimson eyes glared at him, and then she motioned to the human. _

They are what killed me, _she hissed. _Show this monster what its kind has wrought._ Humphrey took no time to do just as she said. He snarled and leapt at the human. He turned and found himself on the ground as Humphrey tackled him. He tried to beat the wolf off, but Humphrey held fast and immediately dug his fangs through the layers that the human was wearing. He exposed his belly and sank his fangs into the human, ripping open his body and tearing out organs and flesh, ripping him apart. The human let out a choked scream, but his cries would go unheard as he tore him apart. _

_It tried to bat Humphrey on the head with feeble, bloodied fists, but he continued to relentlessly rip the human apart. Finally, he grew tired of the human's resistance and lashed at his throat, tearing out his Life Blood. His body convulsed and he spit up blood, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. With dull pain, the human died. Humphrey placed a paw on its chest and sank his claws into it. He threw his head back and released a dark, triumphant howl into the skies of his nightmares. _

Suddenly, the world changed. He was no longer in the icy cave, but in the forest, the mountains surrounding him, the stars shining brilliantly above. He could scent something rotten below him and he looked to see the human lying dead on the ground, his blood staining the dry earth beneath_. _

Humphrey's eyes widened when he realized what he'd done. He backed away, looking down at his bloodstained paws in hopeless disdain. He did not regret what he'd done; this was vengeance for what had happened to _Her_; this was what he hoped would make her stop haunting him in the real world as much as the dream world. But he'd killed a human; he'd blatantly murdered a human. He heard a crack behind him and he whirled around to see the amber eyes of his daughter.

"Dad?" She asked.

**Kala**

Kala had been awoken from a slight chill from the outside. She looked about to see everyone where they should be in the cave; everyone, that is, save for Humphrey. She searched for his scent and found a trail that led sporadically through the territory. He had stayed at a small river for a long time and crossed a narrow tree to cross. The tree was wet from the river and he'd dug his claws into it to stay balanced.

She continued to track his scent into the territory when she could smell the unmistakable scent of blood in the air. Her mind clouded with worry, she dashed out into the night and sought after her father as fast ash she could when she heard a haunting, blood-curdling howl in the night. It bore the unmistakable voice of her father, and she sprinted ahead to find him over the body of a creature she'd never seen before. His muzzle and paws were stained in a thick coat of blood from the odd, furless (even tailless!) creature, his eyes wide and boiling with fury and a loathing hatred.

"Dad?" She asked. He whirled around to see her there and growled at her.

"Go back to the den, Kala," he growled, glaring at the creature. Kala's heart was clenched with an icy claw of fear.

"But-"

"GO BACK TO THE DEN!" He roared.

Her eyes watered and she dashed away, fleeing from her enraged father and the thing he killed. Winston and Salty were walking towards his direction, Kala running away from him and past the two. They shot concerned looks at her and then rushed towards where she had come from. They gasped when they beheld the horrific sight of Humphrey standing over the bloody, mutilated corpse of the traveling human. He did not carry any of the deadly weapons that they used to kill; he was unarmed, unexpected…this wasn't a killing, this was a murder. It was murder at the paws of _Humphrey_. Winston walked forward, but Salty held him back, telling him that he'd talk to Humphrey. Winston nodded to him wearily and padded back to find Kala.

Salty padded up to Humphrey, standing by as he watched his friend seethe at the human's corpse. He calmly watched his closest friend try to ease his mind, but the bloodlust in his eyes was strong; he wanted to kill the human for what his species had done. He wanted revenge for Kate's death.

"Humphrey," Salty said. He shot a glare at Salty, growling. Blood stained his muzzle and fangs. The look he gave Salty…this was not his friend. Not anymore. He'd been transformed into something else, something not wolf. This was not Humphrey, this was not his life-long friend, and this was most certainly not the father of Kala. "Humphrey, you need to calm down."

"Calm down?" He snarled. "How the fuck can you ever tell me to _CALM DOWN_?" Salty stood unflinchingly as Humphrey yelled at him.

"Humphrey, your daughter is hurt," he told him. "You murdered a defenseless human out of preconceived hatred. Humphrey, I know that Kate is haunting you; I know that you feel pain deep inside for what happened."

"You have no idea what I feel!" Humphrey spat.

"You're right," Salty rasped, looking at his friend. "I don't know what you feel. But I know that the rest of the pack is going to feel horrible if they find you like this. What will Kala think? What about Kacey? Your sister, Saren, every wolf in the world? What would they think, Humphrey?" He glared at Salty and suddenly broke down, tears falling from his eyes as he convulsed en a fit of sobs.

Salty walked up to him and patted his friend on the back. Humphrey buried his face underneath his paws in sadness.

"I miss her so much!" Humphrey wailed. Salty patted his friend on the back and looked ahead to see Kacey staring at them. She looked away and padded sullenly back into the forest. Humphrey had not noticed her there, nor had Salty; she must have heard him and ran to investigate. Unfortunately, she chose to investigate at the wrong time. Salty picked up his friend and looked him the eyes.

"Listen, Humphrey!" Salty snarled. "You have to get your act together! You're our leader, Humphrey! You have a mate and a pup, and if Kacey not feeling to well the past few hours is anything like the case with Kate, then you're going to have even more pups on the way. Is this what you want to be known as? Is it?" Humphrey looked up at his friends with tears falling from his eyes. He slammed his fist to the ground in anger. "IS IT HUMPHREY?"

"No!" He shouted. "It's not!"

"Then get up!" Salty snarled. Humphrey did so, standing defiantly to his paws. "Now get back to the den and talk to your mate and pup! They need you right now and I'm not going to watch my best friend as well as my Leader Wolf succumb to this!" Humphrey nodded and walked off in that direction.

"Wait, Humphrey!" Salty shouted. "You should wash off that blood!" Humphrey walked in the other direction towards the river.

"That's where I meant to go," Humphrey said.

**Faolan**

He woke with a start when he heard someone entering the fern grove that he had made into his den. Faolan stood up to see Kala struggling to work herself inside. He padded up to help her, but her fur was caught on some branches. Faolan grabbed her scruff gently and tugged on her. They worked together to break through and suddenly, Kala was freed. She flew forward, tumbling into Faolan. They landed with Faolan on his back and Kala over him, their noses touching.

Their eyes widened in shock, momentarily frozen as they were stunned. Kala quickly pulled away, flattening her ears in shy embarrassment. Faolan smiled sheepishly and leapt to his paws. They sat together in an awkward silence, Kala looking about the small den. She cleared her throat.

"So, ah," she said shyly. "This is where you live?"

"Yeah," Faolan replied. "It's not much, but…"

"It's nice," Kala remarked kindly, smiling. "It feels…homey." Faolan smiled and thanked her for the compliment.

"So, ah, was there something you needed, Kala?" Faolan asked her.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," she said, flattening her ears once again. Faolan grinned wryly at her, sitting down and staring at her. "Well, I was thinking about what you said earlier and I wanted to know more about the Trials you were talking about. I mean, if that's okay with you, of course."

"Certainly!" Faolan replied, smiling, happy to share interesting information with her, especially with a she-wolf that he-admittedly-was slightly attracted to. "The Trails are what all wolves go through to transcend fully into adulthood to become Full Wolf. We are given our Pack Spirit Markings and are immediately declared by all as full wolves and worthy of recognition by Fenrir and Fenrisúlfur."

"Is it necessary to take part in the Trials to be a Full Wolf?" Kala asked him, curious.

"Not exactly," Faolan replied. "That's where details get a bit sketchy. If you go through the Trials, then you will be recognized as Full Wolf and receive all of your markings. Not all wolves go through the Trials, though, but are still accepted. Our belief is, however, that those who do not go through the Trials will meet our gods with the Lights of the Traveling Spirits as the lowest class of spirits and will not be given the privilege of becoming a Spirit Guide." Kala nodded and sat there, considering and thinking hard.

Faolan wondered what was going through her mind, but she was intent on figuring out what to do. Was she, perhaps, thinking of another question to ask. Then, she looked up at him with determination in her eyes.

"Faolan," she said. "Have you gone through the Trials?"

"Yes," he said. "They were grueling, monotonous, difficult challenges, but I have become Full Wolf because of it."

"Then I want to go through the Trials," she said. "I want to be a Full Wolf."

**A/N: Well, there you have it everyone! Thanks to MoonTrekerAF, Dawn Walker Wolf, LilyandMe, the dark shadow, imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, and The-crazy-lone-wolf77 for reviewing my last chapter! It may seem hard to believe (and it's hard for me to believe it as well!) but there's only like 9 or 10 chapters left of Wolves of the Darkness, possibly even less. It's a somber statement, but this story is coming to a close soon. Well anyway, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	35. To Find A Name

When Kala informed him of her plans to take part in the Trials, Humphrey was shocked, aghast at her decision. He was happy that she wanted to take part in something that was obviously very important to the Jagged Ice wolves and to the rest of their species as a whole, but he knew nothing of the trials. He didn't know how dangerous they were, what challenges she'd face, or how long it would take. Of course, she didn't have a clue, either, only strengthening the force of his opposition against her. She did make a valid point in the argument, however; she was not a pup anymore; she was almost two years of age come the end of the upcoming summer, and she had every right as a wolf to make her own decisions in life. Still, Humphrey was incessantly reluctant to let her go, much less to do something that they knew nothing about.

She had told him when he'd returned to the Ĝarnaw the night prior. He had first sought her to talk about what she'd seen, at that point utterly unbeknownst to the fact that Kacey had seen as well. He searched about to find her exit Faolan's den. This, of course, infuriated Humphrey; what right did she have to be going into the den of another wolf at her age, especially alone with him? That wasn't her decision, she didn't deserve that right yet. Still, she did not have any other scent on her save for her own, the reeds of his den that she'd been caught in, and the faint trace of Faolan as he lived in there. He did his best to calm himself down before he talked to her, a tactic that did seem to work for the most part in their discussion.

He led her to the ledge overlooking the forest and had a long talk to her about the origins of the creature that was very unfamiliar to her. He explained what they'd done to the former territory and to the world as a whole, and what they did to the two of them in particular that affected their destinies forevermore. She nodded when he explained why he killed the human; she understood his actions, though did not necessarily agree with them. She forgave him for his hostile attitude towards her when she went to investigate and then he asked her what had happened with Faolan. She explained to him the purpose of the Trials and how they were significant to the maturity cycle of a wolf to become what she called a 'Full Wolf.' When she made the proclamation of wanting to take part in the Trials, Humphrey had immediately denied her the ability to do so. Neither one of them knew anything about the Trials save for their purpose in the grand scheme of a wolf's life and Humphrey was unwilling to allow his daughter to take part in something that could be potentially life threatening. Still, she made her argument and stated her case, unwilling to back down and shy away from the Trials simply due to what her father said.

Knowing that forbidding her to do something that she felt capable of doing and wanted to do as well would only lead to hostilities between the two, Humphrey decided to talk about it with her. They agreed on consulting Saren the next day to learn more about the Trials and how they would be done, and then Humphrey told her to wait there for him. He walked back to the cave and found Kacey lying to the side, her eyes looking dully at the cave wall. He talked to her and was ashamed to hear that she had seen him and overheard what he'd said in the forest. He apologized sincerely and, like his daughter, forgave him wholeheartedly. She then revealed to him something incredible. So many emotions swarmed through his conscience at once that it was difficult to truly comprehend them all. There was excitement, happiness, glee, and joy…but there was fear, terror, anxiety, and inexplicable horror.

His mate was pregnant. Humphrey dreaded those words, knowing that the last time a she-wolf had said those words to him, she'd been killed. How would he cope if he lost another loved one to pregnancy? How would he comfort her if something happened to their pups when they were born? How would Kala take to the news? She was already unhappy with his decision to mate with Kacey, so how would she take to having siblings in their family? He nuzzled his mate and for a long while, the two enjoying the company of the other and basking the excitement and happiness of the knowing that they would be parents to a new litter of pups. He excused himself from her and gave her an affectionate departing lick.

Kala was still waiting glumly on the ledge, tapping her claws on the stone ground in boredom until Humphrey returned to her side, sitting next to her. Kala sat up and looked at her father, catching a look in his eyes that she'd never seen before; she couldn't tell if he was overjoyed or if he was terrified. He sighed, closing his eyes momentarily as though he was lost in thought. She waited patiently for him to speak, knowing that whatever he was going to say to her was important. He only ever acted like this when there was something important that would happen between the two.

"Your mother is pregnant, Kala," Humphrey told her at last. Kala's eyes widened at the thought of the two being pregnant. At first, she felt a wave of anger course through her being, but that was too miniscule of an emotion for her to care about it; a large grin spread across her face. He noticed this and he broke out into a smile as well. Kala slammed into her father and hugged him tightly.

"Congratulations, Dad!" Kala exclaimed happily. He hugged her back, ecstatic that she had accepted the fact that he and Kacey had mated and were going to have pups. She pulled away, giddy with joy. "Can I name one of them when they're born?"

"Of course you can," he replied with a chuckle. "I'm just glad that you're not mad about all of this."

"If Kacey wasn't my mom," she said as they began to journey back. "I probably would be. But I like that you two love each other; besides, this gives me the chance to have someone to play with that isn't as grumpy as you and Firetail!"

"Hey!" He said with a wry smile. "I'm not as grumpy as he is!"

"Well, one thing's for sure," she said, running ahead. "There's no wolf in the world as bad as you at Hunter and Hunted!" He grinned and chased his daughter back to the den.

**Kala**

The Trials to becoming a Full Wolf were not to be taken lightly. From the full explanation that Saren had given her, it would be grueling, horrific, terribly challenging tasks that escalated in difficulty and danger as one progressed. Wolves were not allowed to undergo any physical training before-paw, so she would be forced to commit herself dutifully and immediately. Saren was not to discuss the objectives of each Trial as that would mean the possibility of cheating and physical and mental preparation that would not be permitted. He was, however, allowed to say that several challenges could be accompanied by any wolf that the contestant so chose and that most wolves started the Trails at the lowly age of nine moons. Kala already exceeded this, giving her the upper paw in the Trials.

This would also require her to have full confidence in her decision and to realize the risks of the Trials. Humphrey pulled her away and talked to her about it with Kacey. As her parents, they had just as much of a say in what she did as she did. Kala was quite annoyed that they were having this discussion with her; she was perfectly capable of completing the Trials! If an eight moon-old pup could take them on, then why couldn't she? Defiantly, she placed a paw down and told them that she didn't give a whiff what they thought of the Trials, she was going to go through them! Shocked by her bluntness and defiance, they didn't respond.

Humphrey, then, saw Kate in her eyes. She was an Alpha like her mother, a fighter, a survivor. She would come back no matter what, and he knew that this was her choice, and it would be a decision that Kate would have encouraged. He padded up to Kala and nuzzled her affectionately. He smiled at her and nodded his confirmation, allowing her to do it. He knew that this was his daughter, and as he allowed her to do this, his heart was torn apart, not wanting to let his little pup go. But every wolf had to go through this, and Humphrey couldn't hold on to his daughter so tightly all of the time. She wasn't a pup anymore; she was a grown she-wolf, and this was how she wanted to prove herself to the world and to the pack.

The trio walked back to the cave and informed Saren of her decision to go through with the Trials. He smiled and called the Shaman over. He and Faolan led her inside of the cave where she would receive her first Spirit Markings. She laid down in the rear of the den as the Shaman began to pull out odd, bowl-shaped objects with strange, unknown substances inside. He pounded the substances and materials together until they made a violet paint.

Faolan grabbed a stick and planted the dulled end inside of the bowl and padded up to Kala. He lowered his head and looked out of the corner of his eyes to make sure he was making the correct markings. First he began to draw a line just over her eye. He started halfway down her muzzle and then allowed the line to curve over her eye and continue to her ear. He drew another line underneath her eye, connecting this line to the first. He dabbed the other side of the stick (the more narrow end) in the paint and drew three long lines down her face from the lower line, all three traveling to a point that led pointing towards her tail but not leaving her face. He switched positions and drew the same design on the other side of her face. Finally, he drew a circle on top of her head and drew thirteen lines branching off of the radius of the circle in the symbol of a sun. He drew this symbol on the backs of her ears as well and stood back, he and the Shaman examining the markings to ensure that they were accurate.

The Shaman nodded to Faolan in gruff approval, Faolan smiling. He led Kala to a small pool of water at the side of the den and allowed her to see the intricate violet markings on her face. He padded up to her and they sat together, peering into the water. She realized that his symbol was a circle as well but without the lines representing sunlight radiation. His symbol, she recognized, was the moon. She gave a small smile and the two walked out of the cave to where the rest of the wolves of the Jagged Ice and Jasper packs were gathered, watching as Kala stood in front of the assembled, conjoined pack.

"Today," Saren announced. "We have a new contestant seeking to achieve the mantle of Full Wolf. Despite her elder age, we will allow her the chance to become what she desires. Kala, the Wolf of the Stars, packmate of the Jasper Park Pack, do you accept the Mantle of Responsibility and to take part of the ancient Trials of the Wolves?"

"I do," she replied confidently.

"Do you accept the dangers and risks presented with the Trials and understand that this is not a series of challenges to take lightly, and do you understand that there is a very possible chance that you will not return?"

"I do," she said, her eyes shining.

"Then Kala, Wolf of the Stars," Saren said. "You are now accepted by the Ancient wolf gods Fenrir and Fenrisúlfur into our sacred Trials!" With that, there was a thunderous clamor of cheering howls from the crowd below. Of all the wolves, the Jasper Pack cried out the loudest in encouragement for their young packmate. Firetail, of course, did not. He sat on the fringes of the crowd, glowering at her. Humphrey and Kacey's howls could be heard loudest of all, Kala's heart swelling with pride and happiness from the encouragement of her parents. Saren silenced the crowd and he and Kala turned to look at one another.

"Kala, to become a Full Wolf," he said. "You must first undergo the Great Journey. You may know your name and you may know your species, but you must discover who you really are and you must unlock the secrets of your True Name. This journey can take up to three moons; if you do not return to us within three moons, you will presumed dead. If you do not find who you truly are but return, then you will be disqualified from the Trials and you will lose your right to bear your markings. If you find out who you are, then you will continue to your next task. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Leader Wolf," she said.

"For this first Trial," he said. "You are permitted one non-biological companion to accompany you on your Journey to assist in your survival. Would you like to take anyone with you?"

"Yes," she replied. She looked about and then her eyes became fixated on Faolan. He tilted his head in confusion and she grinned. "I choose Faolan, Wolf of the River." There were many nods of approval from the crowd, but Humphrey's face turned sour when he heard her decision was to take him. She wished that she could somehow convince him that Faolan wasn't a bad wolf, but it wasn't the time to. Not yet, not when she was going to be taking part of the Trials. She didn't need him for any kind of friendly company or intimate relationship that she desired no part of. She knew he was experienced in the ways of the Trials and she was familiar with him, making him the ideal choice.

He looked surprised and flattered for being chosen. He padded up and sat next to her. Saren put his nose to their foreheads and murmured phrases in the Language of the Ancients. A slight wind brushed past them and gave Kala a sense of courage and determination to do what she had to.

"Now, go forth and let the Trials begin!" The two nodded and were led into the forest. Before she left, however, she skidded to a halt, turned, and howled a farewell to her pack. She saw Humphrey and Kacey howl back to her, Humphrey's voice mournful as he watched his daughter leave him. She howled a reassuring response. _I will be back,_ she promised her father. _I will return, Father._

**The Journey**

Kala and Faolan ran through the trees with exhilaration coursing through their veins. They felt so alive, so free! This was how wolves should live; this was how life should always be! To have such raw energy flowing through her was incredible, a feeling that she'd never experienced before! She adored the wind buffeting her fur as she leapt over fallen trees, crashed through the underbrush, and leapt over streams and rivers. Faolan's company helped the matter as well in the sense of having company in their epic journey to discover who Kala truly was.

As they ran, however, Kala couldn't help but ponder what that meant. She was Kala, Wolf of the Stars, daughter of Kate and Humphrey, descendant of the Jasper Park bloodline, adopted daughter of Kacey, Wolf of the Brave…what else was there to be said? How was she supposed to find her True Name in the forest?

She made a point to ask Faolan when they stopped for the night, but right now, there was not time to speak. They were running for their lives not just for the pure fun of it; the sun would be setting soon and with the sunset, the Night Watchers would return, and from what Faolan told her on the tour, there were far more dangers than they and the D'Tyoni to worry about in the forest, even worse than the dreaded Longfangs that she'd come into contact with.

The only way to escape the perilous threat of the creatures was to make it to a high mountain that they could camp out at for the night until they left with the sunrise when Faolan and Kala could once more continue on their journey. The sky began to pale blue, the stars beginning to show out from the sky. They fled through the forest until they finally reached the safety of the mountains, out of the way of harmful predators. They gasped for air as they trekked up the side of the mountain, finding a ledge to rest on. Faolan panted heavily as he lied down, Kala resting several wolf-lengths away. She looked up at him.

"Faolan, I don't understand," she said. "What am I supposed to do? How do I find my True Name?"

"It's different for everyone," he replied through his pants. "I found my True Name in the waters of the ocean. Icerin found his name in a cave he accidentally fell into."

"How do I find my name though?" She asked him, exasperated. "How will I know when I've found it?"

"You'll happen upon it by chance," he replied. "You must follow your heart to where you believe is the right place to go. When you find your name, there will be a sense that will come over you, something that I can only explain as The Knowing. When you have that sense, you know you've found your True Name."

**A/N: Well, I take it back about the ten chapters thing. Yeah, this story is going to be pretty long. So, good or bad? I think it's good! Well, thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, MoonTrekerAF, Alexander, the dark shadow, and imjustlikehumphrey for contributing to the 200 REVIEWS FOR WOLVES OF THE DARKNESS! That's huge, guys! Thanks so much! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	36. The Courage of a True Wolf

**Day 612**

It had been nearly two weeks since Kala and Faolan departed from the Ĝarnaw, and Humphrey had spent much of that time worrying and hoping that they'd appear from the forest at any moment. His packmates tried to get his mind off of her, but every time he looked down and saw Kate's bracelet, he was reminded of her. This was an all-too-often occurrence, and Humphrey would be dreary and sad throughout the day. Kacey was going through many different hormonal issues in the time of her pregnancy and began to pick up habits of insatiable cravings for more and more food as well as having nervous breakdowns, anxiety, and rapid mood swings.

Lily was shocked that she was not pregnant (for quite obvious reasons that included the entire pack giving her and Garth privacy of the entire cave several times) and consulted she-wolves amongst the Jagged Ice pack until she found someone that could explain to her what was wrong. She came back sobbing one day and shunned everyone that attempted to approach her for hours. Finally, she broke down and informed them that she was barren, unable to ever conceive and have pups of her own. Garth comforted her for a long time, Sweets and Kacey trying to as well. Sweets did not become pregnant either, but she and Salty had agreed not to do so until the next spring. When Kacey tried to talk to Lily, she snarled at Humphrey's mate and told her to back off. They could all understand her hostility towards Kacey; she had become pregnant, yet Lily was cursed with barrenness. Still, it hurt Kacey that the she-wolf she'd befriended in their journey was now so hostile towards her.

One day, Humphrey and Kacey sat outside and let the cool wind of the early spring moons flow around them. They began to get into the discussion of what they wanted to name the pups; then, they began brainstorming several names that they felt would be suitable for their offspring. Humphrey thought back to when he and Kate had crossed this topic and already knew two names for male pups that they could have: Ryker and Aatu. Kacey wanted the females to be Kristin and Hannah. He told her that Kala wanted to take part in the naming as well, and Kacey's tail wagged with happiness, ecstatic to hear her ideas for the pup's names.

Unfortunately, Kala's journey could take up to three moons. Kacey would give birth within a moon and a half. If that was so, Humphrey would make sure that one of them was not named until she returned; she was his daughter, and he wasn't going to break a promise to her or to Kacey, and she deserved to be able to name one of the new pups. Kacey agreed and the two returned to the cave to find Garth trying to entertain Lily by making his possum impression again. Unfortunately, Garth was not an Omega; he was about as clueless as an autistic squirrel when it came to helping his mate feel better.

Humphrey told Garth this and the red-furred wolf narrowed his eyes at Humphrey. He walked up to Garth and whispered something in his ear, but Garth reeled back and said, "No! No way! There's no way in the name of Fenrir that I would ever even consider doing something like that!" Humphrey reminded him of what was at stake and Garth sighed as he and Humphrey went to the Shaman. Humphrey's plan required his paint-lots and lots of paint. They returned and Lily's violet eyes widened when she saw what Humphrey did to Garth.

The red-furred Alpha's face was painted white with bright blue circles around his eyes and his nose was painted bright red. He looked absolutely miserable to have such a ludicrous appearance, but Humphrey elbowed him and Garth snapped back to reality, knowing that this was to help his mate despite the embarrassment that would surely ensue. He stood on his forepaws and began to juggle rocks with his hind paws, Humphrey pulling his lips to the sides in the appearance of wide grin. Garth glared at him from the corners of his eyes with a look that clearly said _No you're pushing it, Humphrey._

He stuck out his tongue and let his tail hang down over his face. Lily's face contorted as she tried to hold back her laughter. The others were chuckling, the she-wolves giggling at his ludicrous appearance. When Lily stubbornly refused to laugh, Humphrey kicked Garth in the groin, making him squeal. Humphrey stopped pulling back his lips and he snarled at him.

"What was that for?" Garth shrieked. His voice was incredibly high pitched now, causing all of the wolves to burst out laughing. Lily, unable to take it anymore, rolled on her back in a tight fit of uncontrollable laughter. Garth lost his footing and fell on his back with a hard thud. Lily saw this and she began to laugh harder, tears coming to her eyes as she did so. Humphrey grinned triumphantly, happy to see that his Omega personality was still retained and fully able to be uncovered from the depths of his mind.

Garth growled and punched Humphrey in the shoulder, but when he saw that he'd managed to help him successfully cheer up his mate, he apologized to Humphrey and thanked him. His voice, however, was still very much high pitched.

"No problem," Humphrey replied with a grin. "Now, who am I addressing: Garth the moose or Garth the squirrel?" The wolves began to laugh hard once again, their laughter echoing in the den and reaching the Ĝarnaw outside. Garth narrowed his eyes at the Omega but gave a smile nevertheless. He coughed several times and hit himself in the chest, his voice finally returning to its regular pitch.

"Humphrey," Salty called. "Me and Sweets found something you should find interesting."

"What is it?" He asked. Sweets came forward shyly and responded.

"A perfect place to log sled," she replied. Humphrey's eyes brightened and his tail began to wag. He looked at Kacey and she smiled as well, Lily looking happy about it, too.

"Well, what are we all standing here for?" Humphrey asked, grinning. "Let's go!"

Little Moon Mountain

"You know, I'm starting to second guess this," Kacey said nervously. They had found a sizeable log sled and now the wolves were scaling the snowy slope. Humphrey, Kacey, Salty, Sweets, Garth, Lily, and even Scourge (of whom needed to be forced to come along with them) were trekking upward. Garth, Humphrey, Salty, and Scourge dragged the log sled upward, the she-wolves walking behind them. Lily and Sweets even seemed to be having second thoughts as to log sledding down the mountain.

It was, as Sweets said, the perfect place to log sled. It was also, however, one of the most singularly precarious downward inclines that any of them had every laid eyes on. Sheer, rocky cliffs and sporadically dilapidated boulders lay scattered about the mountain, meaning that they would be forced to make spilt-second decisions of how to turn or they'd crash and possibly become seriously injured in the process of riding down the slope.

Kacey voiced her concerns of this being a bad idea, but Humphrey turned back to her with an amused smile and said, "Stick around for a while; we're full of bad ideas!" They finally reached the point of the mountain that they felt would be a suitable launch position and placed the log on the ground, loading inside. Scourge tried to back out of it, but they grabbed him and forced him down into the sled. Humphrey and Salty began to kick off and they all looked over the edge and down towards the base of the mountain. Some of them whimpered and tried to back out like Scourge, but it was too late; they had begun their descent and immediately crashed into the snow.

They flew ahead at incredible speeds, narrowly dodging the rocks and crevices by a hair's breadth. They whooped and hollered into the air as they flew downward, using inclined rocks and natural snow hills as jumps. On one such occasion, they pulled off a full back flip in the air before slamming to the ground and continuing their ride.

The snow flew around them, flung upward by their wake until they reached the lower half of the mountain where the snow gave way to stone as the summer proved to be ever dominant. They made a critical error in their trajectory on a final jump, however, and spun out of control. The sled broke apart and threw them about the mountain. None of them, however, were terribly injured when they hit the ground. Humphrey, however, landed on his belly, Kacey landing on top of him, slamming him to the rocky earth. He groaned in pain and she got off of him, allowing him to stand back up.

Scourge padded up to them, a scowl on his face as he returned to the group.

"That's what you do for fun?" He snarled. They looked at him shamefully, wishing they hadn't made Scourge come along. Humphrey, however, grinned and nodded. Scourge grunted. "Where did you find that log, because we're going to need a better one for the second go."

Kala 24 Days Later (Day 636)

Kala's guard hairs stood on end, her ears flicked back, her claws unsheathed, and she barred her fangs, Faolan doing the same as the prowling Kodiak bear neared them. For thirty-seven days, they had been wandering around trying, to figure out where and how Kala would find her True Name. This led to an entire day of planning as the two attempted to decipher some part of her that would allow them to figure out where to go. As Wolf of the Stars, she was unfortunately unable to figure out a plausible theory as to how they'd do so. Faolan's had been fairly easy as he'd gone to any body of water he could find and eventually discovered his name within a matter of three weeks. This, however, was proving to not be the case with Kala.

They couldn't travel to a star, so they tried to howl to them. When that proved fruitless, they tried howling to the sun, as it, too, was a star. Again, they were met with no success. They began to think of more unconventional ways to proceed with finding her name, like activities she enjoyed, aspects of her personality, and wolves that she'd known or currently knew to try and figure out some kind of way to decipher just how they'd go forth with finding her True Name. They had tried for days on end, running from location to location to try and find some way to discover the name, but nothing significant came to her mind.

Finally, Faolan broached the subject of returning to her birthplace, an ideal she refused to take part of. She told him that it took the pack her entire lifespan to travel from Jasper to the Jagged Ice Pack, but Faolan pointed out that they'd made many prolonged stops on that journey and didn't cut directly through the mountains like they could have. He knew how to get there safely and reach Jasper within no more than one week if she so chose. She growled at him then, refusing to return to her homeland.

So they continued on, aimlessly traveling about the mountains in an attempt to discover her True Name. Along the way, however, they began to get to know one another far better, and Kala felt as though she'd known the young blue-grey wolf her entire life. They had, admittedly, become close friends during their journey. Kala scolded herself often when she caught herself being too friendly (or friendly at all for that matter) to him. She had taken Faolan with him for two sole reasons: he'd already completed the Trials and he knew how they worked, and he knew the mountains whereas they were still utterly foreign to her. She wasn't supposed to be taking a liking to him, yet she couldn't help herself from feeling some kind of pull towards the wolf.

Four sunrises prior, Faolan had told her of an old being in the inner mountains from which the Shaman (who she learned with shock was well over six hundred years of age) had been taught. If anyone could tell her how to find her True Name, it was he. So they began to journey into the heart of the mountains, searching for the being known as the Prophet. This led to their journey into the stone cliff region where they now stood, face to face with a Kodiak bear that was content with not allowing them passage forward. The only things behind them were more precarious cliffs and ledges. To the left was a rock wall of the mountain, to the right, a steep cliff that meant certain death if they fell down, meaning that their only course of action was to somehow pass the Kodiak or fight him off.

"If we attack together," Faolan hissed. "It'll be confused and won't know which one of us to hit."

"Or we can do it my way," Kala growled. "And get this thing out of my way!" She leapt forward and scratched its large muzzle, raking her claws through it. It roared and batted her away, sending her flying into the mountain. She groaned as Faolan tried to help her back up.

"Your way is arrogant and will get you killed!" Faolan snarled. The bear began to charge at them, the two dodging its massive paws as it tried to crush them once more.

"I don't need your help!" She yelled at him.

"Fine!" He growled. "Get yourself killed!" With that, he darted to the side, waiting for her to join him. She snarled and attacked the bear, once again getting hit to the side. She crashed to the side, but quickly pulled herself back up. She looked at the bear…and froze. The bear's eyes turned a deep yellow, Kala's eyes doing the same. Faolan barked at her, but she did not respond to his distressed cries. There was a voice speaking to her, images and symbols flashing through her mind. Hideous monsters snarled and screamed at her, surrounding the object of divinity residing in the depths of the Jagged Ice Mountain.

_All is not what it seems,_ Kate whispered to her. _They will make us whole, Kala. They will help us transcend. They will make us whole._ Kala began to murmur the words her mother whispered to her, dazed and in an unshakeable trance. Faolan looked at her, incredulous and unable to understand what she was doing. From his perspective, she didn't appear to be in control of her actions anymore.

The bear snarled and struck her with his large paw, sending her over the edge of the cliff. She snapped back to reality and dug her claws into the rock, scrambling to try and pull herself back up. The bear glared down at her and snarled, ready to send her over the edge. She lowered her head and closed her eyes in preparation for the final, killing blow. Faolan, however, leapt at the bear and sank his fangs into the back of its neck.

It growled and focused its attention on Faolan as Kala tried to pull herself back up. The bear crashed into the rock wall, Faolan leaping off and running to Kala. He lowered himself down and grabbed her scruff, pulling her back up. Her claws scraped the surface of the rock as she climbed and finally, the two collapsed on the rock ledge. They looked back at the wall, ready to confront the bear, but it was gone. There wasn't even a scent remaining that gave it away; it was as though it was never there at all.

Dusk

They had walked from the cliffs and found a sizeable cave to camp out in before dawn. Not for the first time, they were forced to go a night without food. Malnutrition had begun to affect their physical appearances and capabilities to perform straining activities. They're fur and begun hang lightly from their bodies and even their ribs were beginning to faintly show through. Sometimes, it was difficult for them to find water during the night, sparingly taking drinks when they were traveling through the forest.

On one occasion of trying to find water, however, they had unintentionally awoken a nest of Night Watchers, forced to flee back to the safety of the mountains. When the Night Watchers left the shadows of the forest, the sun burnt their bodies and corroded their grey, dead skin, the hideous monstrosities dying on the rocks.

Kala sulked to the back of the cave and lied on the ground, regretting her decision to follow through with the Trials. They had been gone over a moon; her parents must have surely worried themselves incessantly over her absence as well as the rest of the pack. What kind of a dumb task was this, anyway? Finding her 'True Name?' What was that supposed to mean in the first place? If this was what it took to become Full Wolf, Kala would rather be a different species! How could she even begin to know what finding her True Name was supposed to mean? All she knew was that this was the most difficult thing she'd ever done.

Her worrying for the well being of her parents did not help matters in the slightest. Kacey would be giving birth to the pups within less than a full moon at this point, and she was quite positive that worrying over her wouldn't be good for the pups. She had even requested to name one of them; how would she do that if she were spending the next two moons trying to find a stupid name? Regrettably, she knew that it was futile to even so much as hope for the ability to see the pups when they were born, accepting the all-too-real possibility that she'd never even get the chance to see them at all.

Whatever the possibilities, she knew that they had to find the Prophet or be condemned to the inability to see her family again. Faolan lied down to rest as the night wore on, Kala watching him. He had saved her life earlier that day; the least she could do was thank the poor wolf. She padded up to him and nudged him awake. He blinked his eyes and looked up at her.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "For earlier," He nodded.

"You're welcome," he replied, and then lied his head back down. A cool breeze went through the cave, chilling them to the bone. Kala curled up in a ball next to him, the two falling asleep together in the night. Unbeknownst to the other, both of them were smiling the whole time.

**Day 637**

Kala followed in step behind Faolan as he led the way through the mountains. Several times, they were forced to backtrack and find a new route due to erosion affecting the terrain in front of them or some predator blocking their path again. On multiple occasions, Kala questioned Faolan's ability to find the Prophet, but he consistently told her that he knew where he was going. Without anyone else to help her on her journey and knowing that the Prophet was her last shot to find out her True Name, she shut up and followed him.

Finally, they arrived on a bowl-shaped mountain formation that was similar to the mountains that Humphrey and Kacey had encountered the D'Tyoni in. The valley within was covered with leagues of sand, long-buried stone structures of human creation (or possibly whatever made the object of divinity) lay scattered below. They bounded down the mountainside and entered the sand, their paws sinking into it. This was not like the sand of the dunes and beaches near the ocean, but searing hot on their pads and very coarse.

The sun bore down on them with incredible heat. The spring was giving way to summer, and the rising heat meant that their winter coats would no longer be needed. Unfortunately, there was nowhere that they could try to rub off the excess fur, meaning that they'd have to bear through it. They began to pant heavily as they neared the center of the dunes, Kala rasping. Dehydration had struck her hard and she was quickly losing her hold on reality. She swayed to the sides in dizziness, her vision brightening, darkening, and colors distorting around her. Faolan noticed her state and shook her, trying to keep her from losing consciousness. The last thing they needed was for one of them to fall in the blistering heat of the miniature desert. She began muttering gibberish under her breath, Faolan becoming worried for her health as they trekked on.

They reached the top of a large dune and looked down, the large stone gateway to the Prophet's lair open. Kala swayed once more and her vision blurred. She couldn't take it anymore and her legs gave out underneath her. She collapsed, falling down the large dune. Faolan called out her name in panic and rushed down to her. She tumbled through the sand and landed heavily at the bottom of the dune. Faolan leapt after her and slid down to the bottom. He shook her, but she refused to wake up. He grabbed her scruff and pulled her into the cool shade of the stone temple within the desert.

He frantically searched for some source of water, trying to bring Kala something to drink. He scented the air and caught the distance scent of fresh water. He crawled underneath Kala, her body draped over his back. He hoisted her up and then rushed through the stone halls, underneath arched doorways and through dark tunnels until he found a large pool of fresh water resting peacefully within the temple.

He settled Kala down into the water and splashed her face with water. He opened her mouth and forced her to drink. Her eyes scrunched and she began to cough. She stood up and blindly stumbled into the water. She shot up, gasping for air, her eyes wide. She looked about, trying to figure out where she was. Faolan cleared his throat and she turned to him, giving him a questioning stare. He explained what had transpired and she breathed a heavy sigh.

"Well," she said with a small smile. "I guess I owe you for saving my life twice now."

"Don't mention it," he said with a wry grin. He padded up to her and helped her out of the water. She gratefully accepted his help and then the two looked about the old stone ruins, light streaming from holes and gaps in the roof above.

"So now what?" She asked him.

"This is supposed to be a human kind of thing," he informed her. "It's ancient; thousands of years old. I've heard stories from the Shaman about the Prophet. This is supposedly the place the Prophet is supposed to be."

"How do we find him?"

"To be honest," he replied nervously. "I'm not really sure. He didn't tell me that much."

"If you don't mind my asking," she said. "Why do you spend so much time with the Shaman?"

"He spends so much time with him because Faolan is to be the next Shaman," a voice growled from the shadows. They looked in the direction of the voice and stared into the darkness. A pale, furless, hideous monstrosity appeared. It was the corpse-like form of an Ancient; he was not just any wolf. He was a Dire Wolf. He was massive, nearly twice the size of an average, full grown wolf. Its muzzle was slightly shorter than normal and had a large, rigid jawline. Scars across his pale, fleshy body resembled the makings and hieroglyphics on etched into the object of divinity. His ears were cut in several places, his left ear torn completely in half. A rat-like tail dragged behind him, long claws jutting from truly massive paws. Two fangs on the top and bottom of its mouth jutted out from its lips, and two stark white, bulbous eyes glared at them through the dark.

A necklace hung around him, the long, poisonous fang of some kind of massive snake hung from the end of it. It padded up to them, Kala and Faolan sinking to their bellies, bowing their heads in the presence of the Prophet. He looked down at them and smirked. He walked away and allowed himself a drink from the pool of water. The two looked up and slowly got to their paws, watching him. He was missing many of the fangs in his mouth and they noticed that there were holes in his tongue. He growled at them.

"What are you looking at?" He grunted. They were shocked that he knew they were looking at him; white eyes meant that he was blinded, yet he knew they were looking in his direction? "Don't be fooled, pups. Just because I am over seven hundred thousand years old and blind doesn't mean that I'm an idiot." Kala looked at Faolan and he shrugged. They returned their attention to the wolf.

"You might as well know that I'm a Dire Wolf you mongrel pups," he growled at them. They looked at each other in shock; was he reading their thoughts? "Of course I am you imbeciles; if you wouldn't keep your minds open like idiots then I would have a bit more trouble figuring out what you're thinking."

"If you can read our minds," Kala said cautiously. "Then I take it that you're the Prophet?" He scoffed, releasing a hacking cough of a laugh. It was sickening and ear-splitting, the two lowering their heads and gritting their fangs until he had finished with the demonic laughter.

"Prophet," he spat. "It is such a crude, inferior term that your pathetic race had christened me."

"You're part of our species, too," Faolan pointed out.

"No, I am not," he growled, turning around. "I am Dire Wolf, I am True Wolf, that of which you aspire to become through the accomplishment of near-meaningless achievements that we thought of as trite and irrevocably worthless in comparison to what we were forced to do in our time. Your journey is to prove yourself worthy of an attempt at a True Wolf, one that I have allowed non-True Wolves to do to prove their worth."

"Okay," Faolan said. "So we're not technically True Wolf despite our shared blood; fair enough. That isn't, however, the reason we came here, Prophet-"

"Enough with that foolhardy, pitiful excuse of a name!" He snarled at them. "You will address me by my True Name, Fenrir." Their eyes widened in shock when he revealed his True Name. No, that couldn't be! Fenrir was the name of the good, kindly god of the wolves of whom ruled peacefully with his beautiful mate, Fenrisúlfur! How could this repulsive, deformed, shadow of a wolf ever possibly be the god of the wolves?

"That's a lie," Faolan growled. "All wolves are taught of Fenrir and his mate that rule above in the stars high. You can't be Fenrir; you're an imposter!"

"Foolish, runt," he spat. "I am the Wolf God of War, an abomination in the eyes of Fenrisúlfur. I am the drive for wolves to fight, the anger that festers inside of you, the hatred that poisons you, and I am the lust and vengeance that you harbor deep within your hearts. I am no god of the wolves, nor is Fenrisúlfur; she is the Wolf Goddess of the world around us, and she will greet all good wolves when their time has come. Lupus and Lupa are the Wolf Gods; your packs have obviously been corrupted with false knowledge and tainted information."

He turned and walked back into the shadows. Kala, however, felt fury burning within her and she stalked after him despite Faolan's protests. She followed his rotting, rancid stench of a scent through the dark and called after him. She'd come too far to just give up now, and she wasn't going to let some stupid, wrecked, sole survivor of a long-extinct species leave her in the dark as to what she was supposed to do. She needed to get a straight answer from him, and she needed it now! It would be less than three weeks before Kacey gave birth to her pups, and she was determined to discover her True Name before-paw so she could be there with her parents to see them born.

"Hey, shit head!" She snarled at him. Fenrir halted, his white eyes glaring at her.

"Watch your tongue, bitch-wolf," he growled.

"How about you prove your worth as the last of your kind and face me like a True Wolf!" He whirled around and snarled at her, his face moving up to hers. Faolan looked at them, shocked that Kala would speak out against the God of War; the things he could do to her were unspeakable, unprecedented, and absolutely terrible. Kala, however, showed no fear in the face of death itself. She glared at him with an intensity that was unparalled by the greatest of foes, a heart of courage building itself up within her. Faolan admired her for that.

"How dare you speak to me in such a manner!" He roared. "You are a worthless excuse of a wolf; you are nothing but an incompetent mutt, a whorish mate for that lustful male mutt back there!" Kala snarled at him, unsheathing her claws.

"He is not my mate," she growled defiantly. "And I am nobody's whore. I am Kala, Wolf of the Stars, proud daughter of Kate and Humphrey of Jasper Park. I am a grey she-wolf and I wish to fulfill my personal goals to find my True Name and become Full Wolf, and I will _not_ let a horrible, disgraceful excuse for one of the revered Ancients derive me from my task!"

The interior of the ancient structure was silent for a long while as the three stood there, rigid. Fenrir's eyes were wide and his jaw was slightly agape in shock from the ferocity and bravery displayed by the young she-wolf. Such courage in the heart of a living being was difficult to find in the dark days of the present, and Fenrir felt as though he'd finally found the wolf that he'd been searching for, the wolf that would truly define the meaning of wolf. He backed away and looked at her with his unseeing eyes.

"You will find your True Name in the place known sacred to your mother and father," he said. "Not your stepmother, but your blood mother. There, and only there, will you discover the identity of your True Name; you may take the valley pass through the mountains and be free of these damned lands within five days. No creature will attempt to harm you until you return to your pack's Ĝarnaw. I will be waiting for your return when you discover your name. That is all that I can tell you, Young Grey." Kala nodded and turned around, walking away. Faolan watched the two, stunned, but fell into step beside Kala. As they left, Fenrir whispered his hopeful condolences. "Good luck, Young Grey."

**A/N: Well, there's a nice long chapter for all of you! Sorry I didn't update for two freaking days! I know, I can't believe I took that damn long! I've just been so caught up in school work and spending time with my friends and my girlfriend that I've completely lost track of the time going by! This will be the last time this happens without warning, I can guarantee you all that!**

**Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, The-crazy-lone-wolf77, MoonTrekerAF, the dark shadow, LilyandMe, and Alexander for reviewing my last chapters! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	37. Name in the Scorched Earth

**Day 642**

Kacey's pregnancy had begun to show far clearer than ever before, her belly large and swollen and fatigue wearing on her each day that passed. Her eating habits had risen and fallen several times, her anger management issues sparked by the pregnancy only growing worse. Humphrey became worried for her as the pregnancy went on, and he began to have horrid, terrifying nightmares that plagued him every day. They foretold the death of Kacey when she gave birth, and they foretold Humphrey killing her just like he had to kill Kate. He'd wake up in a cold sweat in the dead of night and look to his mate, making sure that she was alright.

Scourge began somewhat of a therapy consultant for Humphrey during these dark days. Ever since they'd arrived in the mountains, Humphrey's nightmares had grown steadily worse, each one boding a horrible premonition of the future in some kind of twisted way. He was terrified beyond belief that he'd be caught in the darkness of his nightmares, that they'd come true like the first time he'd had them. Scourge tried to sort through his nightmares and help him make sense of them, to see if there was some kind of hidden message embedded within them.

Unfortunately, Sam did not seem keen on helping them, either. Every time they tried to talk with him, his messages were vague, distorted, as though he was no longer capable of communicating with them efficiently anymore. It didn't seem like he was blatantly ignoring them; he had, on many occasions, tried to speak with them, but it was almost as if he was unable to talk, as though there was something wrong with him. His apparition was faded, only half-existent in reality and in the world of their dreams. He always said something to them along the lines of a warning, but he was never able to tell them of what he was warning them of. All they ever got was an ominous message from him speaking of something that they knew nothing of. Still, they remained ever wary of his messages despite not knowing what he was talking about. The two were incredibly vigilant in their attempt to protect the wolves of their pack.

Saren, however, assured them that there was no danger to be wary of, and that the Ĝarnaw and the territory beyond the Shaman's borderlines were perfectly safe and secure. Nothing could get through the Shaman's borderline trails unless he permitted it, and humans would see the mountains as precarious, deadly places that would be inhospitable to their species. Humphrey did not fully believe this, however, due to the sighting of the human within the territory. Still, Saren insisted that nothing could endanger them while they stayed with the Jagged Ice pack, and he left them with an eerie verse that they did not fully understand, telling them that 'Transcendence will arrive soon, and we will all be safe and free in a beautiful world of prosperity and peace.' Dismissing his odd phrases that they didn't understand-nor did they have any drive to even make the attempt-they continued to stay on the watch and hope that Sam would deliver them a straightforward, understandable message soon.

Humphrey's worrying for Kala only worsened with these ominous warnings from Sam. He hadn't heard nor seen her in over a moon and a half, almost the full length of Kacey's pregnancy. Even her scent had disappeared completely; the only thing he had left to remember of her was the tail fur she'd plucked out and intertwined with his bracelet. He felt empty inside without his daughter's presence nearby; she was the only attachment to Kate that he had left. If he lost Kala, he didn't know what he'd do. Kate's death had already nearly killed what was left of his former self. Though his sense of humor would occasionally resurface, such as when he and Garth tried to cheer up Lily, he was a very different wolf than what he used to be. If anything ever happened to Kacey, their unborn pups, and especially his daughter, Humphrey knew that what he'd become would be a fate worse than death itself.

Against his feelings, he pressed down his emotions of worry and concern for his daughter and did his best to help care for his mate as she dealt with the mental and physical strain of her pregnancy. When she'd first felt the pups kick, she was as energetic as the most rambunctious of pups. Every time she felt the pups kick, she'd sit down and have Humphrey feel her belly with her and the two would happily pat them through the womb, letting them know that their mother and father were there, waiting for them to come out and meet their family.

This did, however, begin to annoy Humphrey when she quite literally forced him to feel her womb _every time_ she felt a kick. He hid his annoyance perfectly after it got old, giving her the illusion that he was still incredibly interested in the subject of feeling the pups kick every single time that they made the slightest movement inside of her. Nevertheless, he was amused by her excitement and was just as happy that she was going to have pups as she was. In a way to make Lily feel better and because they'd grown into close friends over the near two years that she'd been with the pack, Kacey asked Lily if she'd do the honors of being the godmother of the pups, an offer that Lily accepted ecstatically and without a heartbeat's hesitation, the two she-wolves giddy with excitement, the rest of the pack looking at them with wry smiles. Humphrey had looked about the wolves then and noticed that Firetail was not amongst them.

In fact, the brown wolf had been absent from the den most of the days and nights, rarely showing himself. There was something different about the young wolf, and Humphrey couldn't place his paw on just what that was.

Firetail had always distanced himself from the pack, wishing to be more of a solitary individual than be part of the tight-knit group that made up the survivors of Jasper, and that had only deepened after the dominance battle. Humphrey had seen him running away with tears in his eyes that night. He'd lost to Kala, the she-wolf that he'd rivaled with since she was old enough to talk. His resentment towards her was sure to have only deepened when she won the dominance battle, and he seemed to have a newfound hatred towards Lily and Garth for congratulating her, despite the fact that she was their biological niece.

He let his fur lie down over his face most of the time, even covering his eyes. He snarled at Lily when she tried to clear the fur from his face and stalked away. Humphrey didn't understand why he did this, nor did he understand many things about the young wolf. He was perplexing, yet at time proved that he could be a potential threat to the wellbeing of the pack, and Humphrey could simply not allow him to jeopardize the safety of his wolves. Despite that they'd joined the Jagged Ice pack, they still looked up to Humphrey for leadership and guidance.

Narami had visited them on many occasions, Humphrey allowing her to lead him around the Ĝarnaw and the territory so he could begin to remember things that were previously long forgotten in the recesses of his mind. As part of the pack, he was allowed to renew his Spirit Markings: he received a thin line below his eyes, a vertical line jutting down from that line. On his forehead was a downward-pointed arrow, his ears pointed with upward-pointed arrows, all of markings painted in bone white.

As she showed him more and more landmarks and locations, his memory began to slowly and steadily return, the familiarity realized as full memory rather than an odd sense of déjà vu. One day, he asked her to describe their parents to him.

Their mother was a kindly, caring she-wolf with a large heart. She was a stark-white furred wolf with blue markings on her body, as she was the former Harko of the pack before Icerin. Their father was a gruff but affectionate and loving father with grey fur and blue eyes. She said that Humphrey looked exactly like their father when they'd left during the original attack on the Ĝarnaw years prior. How Humphrey had managed to forget all of this was unbeknownst to him and bewildered him, but Narami had presented a plausible theory as to his brainwash. If he'd been hit on the head sometime along the journey, the impact would have easily ruptured the tender, fragile cells of a pup's brain and caused memory loss. If that was not the case, then something must have happened to their father that was so incredibly traumatizing that his brain had attempted to wipe the memories out of his young mind as to protect him from serious mental health or emotional distress issues in the future.

It made sense to Humphrey that these could have happened; if he was only within two or three moons of age at the time, and then it made sense that these would cause his memory failures later on in life. He briefly wondered what Kate would have thought of all of this, especially to learn that her mate had finally found his home again. As they began to walk away from the forest, Humphrey could see the apparitions of his deceased mate, once more haunting him.

On one occasion, he was padding through the forest at night, hoping that Kala might return. She had been gone for so long and Faolan's presence with her didn't improve matters, his suspicions becoming stronger. He'd contemplated asking Marcel and Iris to try and find them, but remembered that he hadn't seen the two in moons. He never truly found out what happened to the two birds that night, but hoped that if they were still alive, they were safe somewhere and enjoying their lives. He pitied the two for the loss of Paddy. The caddy duck was Marcel's best friend and Iris' love interest, so when he died, a part of them was taken from their hearts and minds.

As he began to walk back, he saw the dark form of his mate standing in the moonlit forest. She was nothing but a silhouette, but still retained the physical shape of Kate. Suddenly, her neck and belly burst open and blood spilled to the ground below. Three dead pup corpses fell out, too, their shriveled, blood-stained bodies crying out in pain. Humphrey gritted his teeth and tears began to fall from his eyes as he watched them.

_Why did you kill me, Humphrey?_ She asked. _Why did you make me die? We could have been whole, Humphrey; we could have been one, but you made me die. Why did you do it Humphrey? Why did you make me die?_

"Get out of my head!" He snarled as tears streaked his face. "Just get out of my fucking head!"

_Oh, but I love to be in your head,_ _Humphrey, _she said, padding up to him slowly. _I want the pain to fester within you, to poison your veins and pollute your mind. I want you to tell me why you made me die._

"Ask the fucking humans that question!" Humphrey growled. "You told me to do it! You told me to fucking do it!"

_But you didn't have to, Humphrey; we could have had more pups. We could have had the life you promised me with four beautiful pups unlike that hideous, mongrel scrap of fur that wants to call herself a wolf. You wouldn't be stuck with that slut of a she-wolf, Kacey, and we could both be happy. You told me you'd never break a promise you made to me and then you promised me that future. But you broke your promise, Humphrey. You broke your promise to me. Why did you make me die?_

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" He roared. "YOU AREN'T KATE!"

_Oh, really?_ She growled at him, her crimson eyes glowering._ I will return soon enough, Humphrey, and I want you to tell me why you made me die and answer me one other question, or you will face the consequences of your negligence._

"What's the other question?" Humphrey growled. She padded up to him and screamed at him.

_WHO AM I, HUMPHREY?_

**Jasper Park, Canada**

As Fenrir had promised, Kala and Faolan had not encountered any opposition between the God of War's temple and the land beyond the mountains. Kala began to lead the way once they reached the place that she and Kacey had taken down the panther. Her pawsteps quickened from a run, to a trot, to a run, and then to an all-out sprint as she followed her heart to her home. They sprinted across the grass plains for countless hours, taking a drink at the place the pack had stopped at on their journey away from Jasper and towards the mountains.

Kala looked around and suddenly, the familiar area that she'd always known as the Small Grounds came into view. This was her home, the place that she'd lived at for the beginning of her life. A part of her heart would always remain here and know it as the first home she'd ever had. Suddenly, they heard a cry from above. They looked up to see two birds crash into Kala, one of them crying out a word: "MADEMOISELLE!"

She laughed uncontrollably as Marcel and Iris got off of her, ecstatic to finally see her friends for the first time in nearly two moons since they were brought to the Jagged Ice pack.

"Marcel, Iris!" Kala cried, embracing the two tightly in a large hug. Their eyes bulged from the force of her hug, but they accepted it nevertheless and were just as happy to see her. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you guys!"

"And we, you, Mademoiselle," Marcel replied with a wry smile. "Ever since those wolves came in and took you away, Iris and I have been on the run-err, flight. We didn't know where to look for you, and the creatures in those rotten mountains didn't help us out. And now we find you here with this-ah, well um…I don't recall this young wolf with you before."

"Marcel, Iris," she said happily. "This is my friend Faolan. Faolan, these are my friends Marcel and Iris."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur!" Marcel said, extending his wing to him. Faolan awkwardly shook the bird's wing, doing the same with Iris.

"Wait, so you _don't_ eat these?" Faolan asked. Kala giggled in amusement as Marcel and Iris gave him aghast looks.

_"Eat us?"_ Marcel cried out in disgust. "How _dare_ you make such a ludicrous statement to a proud French-Canadian professional golfing champion!"

"If you try to eat us, mister grey and blue but irresistibly attractive," Iris said charmingly, Kala smiling at her. "I'll make sure that your eyes get shot out by humans just like mine!" Faolan gulped and nodded his head vigorously in understanding. Content, they returned their attention to Kala.

"So, missy star-wolf-daughter-of-mister-funny-and-misses-fast," Iris said quietly. "Is this blue and grey and grey and blue wolf the father of your puppy pups?" Kala reeled back in shock and disgust, Marcel whacking her in the back of the head with his wing.

"No, he's just here to help me get back to Jasper," Kala said sternly. Iris rubbed the back of her head and glared at Marcel.

"Speaking of which," Marcel said. "Where is the rest of your pack? Did they-?"

"No, they're fine," she said with a smile. "Although the creatures in the forest took all four of the eastern wolves; all that's left is me, Humphrey, Kacey, Garth, Lily, Scourge, Winston, Firetail, Salty, Sweets, and Kacey's unborn pups."

"She's having pups?" Iris exclaimed. Kala smiled and nodded.

"Well, your father seems to repopulate with a lot of attractive she-wolves, doesn't he?" Marcel said teasingly. "You might want to watch out that he doesn't try to make more little wolves with you!" Kala laughed at that and lightly punched Marcel in the chest. "All jokes aside, why are you heading back to Jasper? Don't you remember that it has been destroyed in the Great War?"

With that, Kala began to retell the story of all of the events that transpired from the time of their separation to this point. They nodded in understanding when she told them just why she had come to Jasper and what finding her True Name would allow for her. Before they could ask, she also delved into an explanation as to the markings on her face and the markings all over Faolan's body and face, and she told them what it meant to be a Full Wolf by completing the sets of Trials set by the Ancient Wolf Gods, Lupus and Lupa.

They were surprised to hear her say those two names rather than Fenrir and Fenrisúlfur, so Kala explained to them just what they had learned from the ancient Dire Wolf in the small desert. Fenrisúlfur was the she-wolf goddess that guided wolves on quests such as this, hence the reason her mother always wished her to guide Kala, as Lupus and Lupa were simply the watchers and the rulers. Fenrisúlfur was the goddess spirit that helped wolves survive on journeys and watched over them kindly with a gentle heart. She was also known as the wolf goddess of love in some tongues.

Marcel and Iris agreed to assist Kala in her search for her True Name, understanding why she saw Jasper as the place Fenrir had talked about when trying to find her name. They already had many locations in mind that they knew of, one of them not even in Jasper Park, but on a human railroad further south where they'd first howled together.

They set off into the territory and Kala's eyes widened. Her mother had shown her what Jasper Park looked like in a dream, but to see the devastation of the land before her was horrible. Three massive gouges in the earth had torn the land apart, all of the plant life burnt and hidden in a layer of solidified ash. They walked down, solemn as they looked about at what had formerly been the home of the Jasper wolves. Kala looked around and saw a hill back where they'd come, the shape of a wolf's corpse barely visible lying on the side of it. Her heart stopped and her blood ran cold as she realized who that wolf was: Kate. Marcel and Iris ushered her away from the sight and back to the task at paw.

Human vehicles and weapons lay scattered about, most of them destroyed, others left abandoned. Large craters in the ground signaled where the projectile missiles, mortars, and heavy artillery rounds and obliterated the land. The skeletal remains of human bodies lay scattered about as well, a large pile of dead caribou corpses lay scattered in the rear of the valley, the flesh and fur of the caribou torn and revealing the bones and hollow body within. There was a dark, eerie silence as they walked to the center of the valley. They stopped and Marcel and Iris explained that this was the place that Humphrey and Kate had first declared their unconditional love for one another. She nodded and looked about the area, searching for some kind of sign or feeling that she would find her True Name.

There was nothing here. She walked back, sighing in defeat as they led the two wolves around the gouged earth and up a large hill and past a dried riverbed that Marcel and Iris had explained used to be a running river that her parents would visit periodically; now, it was a dead, snaking bed of sand. They walked through the tall grass and came across churned earth and blood stains. Again, they explained that her father had killed a Mad Wolf here, but had lost his best friend, Shakey, in the process on that horrid, fateful night. Guessing that this wasn't a place sacred to her parents, they moved on and came across their den. Kala tentatively walked into it and sniffed about. The scent inside was incredibly stale and tainted with the scent of fire, but there was the unmistakable scent of her father that still lingered, as well as a sweet, beautiful scent that could have only been her mother. She lied down and closed her eyes, she looked about the den, and she tried every possible thing she could think of to figure out a sign that would lead her to how she'd find her True Name. Surely this was a sacred place to her parents? Alas, she found no evidence that this was the place Fenrir had suggested, nor did she find anything that would point her towards her True Name.

Marcel and Iris suggested the place they first howled and she agreed to go searching there. They followed the old train tracks for leagues from dawn to the midafternoon. They came across a stretch of land surrounded by two lakes from where Marcel said that they'd first howled. If anything, this was surely to be the place they held most sacred! There was nothing. Kala snarled in exasperation and stalked back to the park. Faolan, Marcel, and Iris tried to follow her around when they returned, but Kala told them to stay at the remains of the Pack Den while she looked around for herself. She walked through the dead trees at random, seeking something-_anything-_that would tell her what her True Name was.

Eventually, she stopped in a small clearing that, for some odd reason, looked oddly familiar. She looked around and found a patch of dead, blackened flowers that had been badly destroyed and mutilated from the harmful effects of the changing seasons, the fire, and the ash. Beside them was an odd depression in the ground. Kala curiously brushed away the ash with her tail and inspected the ground beside them to find two images scrawled into the dirt by way of claw. The first was an image that looked precisely like her mother, the second looking just like her father. That's when it hit her: this was the clearing that her parents had first met at, the place they'd first mated, and the place that she knew was what they held dearest to them.

_ She sat down and closed her eyes, reaching out her mind and heart into the area around her. She opened her eyes and the world had changed; the forest was back to its normal appearance before it had been destroyed, and Kate and Humphrey sat together silently in the clearing. Her mother's womb was large as she still carried the pups; this was the final time they knew peace with one another; this was the night of the Great War._

_ Kate looked at the ground in misery, Humphrey sitting beside her, their fur tugged against each other from the force of the wind. Kate pulled something out of her fur and looked at Humphrey. It was a reed loop with three purple flower petals intertwined in them. She wrapped the small loop around Humphrey's right paw and looked at him._

_ "I made it for you," she said. She looked away, somewhat embarrassed. "I know it seems odd and isn't all that great, but I thought you might like it…I don't know, Alphas never really did much in terms of fun or arts and crafts as much as Omegas did, so I know I didn't do a very good job on it and-"_

_ Humphrey silenced her by rubbing his nose gently against hers. He licked her face and gave her his appreciation._

_ "I love it, Kate," he told her with a smile _(Kala's eyes widened in shock; her birthday was not only the same day as her mother's, but the same day that Jasper was destroyed and the same day that her mother had been killed!)_. She flashed him a weak smile and they sat together for a while. "Happy third birthday, Kate," She nodded in thanks and they sat together, sharing their love for one another. Humphrey looked down at the odd loop she'd given him wrapped around his paw, admiring the natural look to the odd contraption. It scented of her, the flower petals embedded inside from Kate's favorite flower._

_ He glanced over to where they grew, but saw the patch dead and grey. The flowers were shriveled and decayed, stiff and cracking in the wind. He took condolence in the fact that there would be more another day. It didn't matter how many flowers survived; life would always resume in one way or another. At that moment, Humphrey had absolutely no intentions to leave Jasper. The humans would leave, he was sure, and there was no doubt about it. Scourge was wrong in leaving; the humans weren't going to destroy anything._

_ Nothing would happen, and nothing would separate him and Kate. Kate grunted for a moment, drawing his attention. He looked at her in worry, seeing her clutching her belly. He gave her a questioning look and she smiled in reassurance._

_ "It's that one pup," she told him. "The she-pup that has that really strong kick," He grinned and felt her belly, the small yet forceful kick of the pup hitting against her womb. He nuzzled her belly again and the pup-as it had always done when he nuzzled her womb-ceased to kick so fiercely. Kate and Humphrey smiled at each other. "I think she likes you." Kate said. Humphrey smiled wryly at her._

_ "What makes you so sure it's a she-pup?" He asked with a grin. "It might be a strong male that'll grow up to be an Alpha."_

_ "Or," Kate pointed out with an equally large grin. "It could be a fun-loving she-pup that'll grow up to be our proud little Omega."_

_ "You still didn't answer my question, though," Humphrey said. "How do you know it's a she-pup?"_

_ "My motherly intuition," Kate said, winking at him. Humphrey began to laugh, Kate joining in. This was how life should always be; Kate and Humphrey were meant to be together, no doubt, and it was how Humphrey intended on keeping it. Kate's nose rubbed against his scars and she frowned. "Sorry about doing that to you."_

_ "It's alright," he said with a laugh. "Hey, how about I tell the pups I was in a huge war and came back to save you, earning these scars in battle?" She giggled at the ridiculous prospect of telling the pups that fantasy._

_ "Not much of a fight," she said. "Besides, I'd be saving you more likely."_

_ "Hey, I thought we were equal in that respect!" Humphrey protested._

_ "No," she said, nuzzling him. "You saved me more times than I saved you."_

_ "Well, you did save me in one big way."_

_ "What way is that?"_

_ "You saved me from a life without you," he whispered to her. She smiled and dug her face into his fur, happy to be with him. Eve and three other wolves may have died, but Humphrey still managed to make her happy nevertheless. That was what she loved about her mate: he cared for her and still was able to make her smile, something that Humphrey, quite frankly, prided himself in doing. Every day that Kate was happy, Humphrey knew he was doing his job._

She blinked and the apparition had disappeared, the world returning to its destroyed state. Tears fell down her face as she looked about. She looked down at the flowers. One of her tears fell from her face and landed on one. The dead flower began to go through on odd change, re-inflating itself from its burnt form, color returning to it. The stem began to turn a jade green like Faolan's eyes, the petals turning to a bright violet and blooming outward; it was Kate's favorite flower. That's when it came into her mind.

Kala gasped, releasing a choked sob as her True Name revealed itself to her. It was not something that was able to be pronounced in any tongue, known or unknown. It wasn't even truly a name like Kala was for her, but a sense of pure identity. She cried in happiness as she relished in the beauty and horror of her True Name, her heart feeling full once more. She plucked the flower from the ground and placed it in her fur behind her right ear and she returned to her three companions with a sad smile and tears running down her face. Faolan grinned, knowing that she'd discovered her True Name.

This took some explaining to Marcel and Iris, both of whom were concerned that Kala had been hurt or went to look at Kate's body, but when they were assured that Kala had truly found her name, the four began the long journey home. It would be at least two more weeks before they reached the Ĝarnaw, but Kala knew that they would make it. They would have to stop at Fenrir's temple as well as he'd requested, and Kala was content with doing so. As they walked ahead, Kala smiled murmured under her breath her True Name. Although not translatable in spoken language, Kala knew that it was the tongue of the Ancients, the mental state that they all knew and held in their genes of wolf blood. It was instantly recognizable as that of what she was. "Stroqyi," she whispered. _Star Wolf_.

**A/N: Ah, yes, another long chapter today! I honestly didn't think this would be more than 2000 words, but it turns out to be nearly 5000! Whoa! Guess I just got really into this chapter, and in a big way, I did! Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, The-crazy-lone-wolf77, LilyandMe, Dawn Walker Wolf, the dark shadow, and RexieCakes for reviewing my last chapter!**

**Also, I have one final announcement to make before I go off for the night. Well, I've been spending a lot of time with my girlfriend (because she's just that amazing of a girl that I want to be with her as much as possible) and I recently learned that she wants to be an author (coincidentally my aspiration as well). She sent me the draft of the story she wants to get published because I offered to peer edit and review it for her as well as help her out on any future stories she wants to write.**

**This will be time consuming and I may not have the ability to continue daily updates for the next week or two while I help her. After this series (or perhaps after this story, who knows) I'm planning on asking her if she wants to write a FanFiction story together and perhaps do that as well as write the Darkness Trilogy. Well, that's about all I have to say for tonight; I'm doing great, I'm having fun writing this story, and I'm loving my girlfriend unconditionally! Well, UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	38. Redemption, Return, and Names

**Day 657**

**Humphrey**

Kacey and Humphrey padded peacefully through the forest, enjoying the company of one another and letting the fading sunlight of the late afternoon warm their fur. It was now two moons since Kala and Faolan had left the Ĝarnaw of Jagged Ice, and there was still no sign of the wolves. Humphrey had not, since the last time, seen Kate's apparition, either. It was like a two-sided claw; a curse and a blessing all at once. He was cursed with the inability to see and speak with his beloved daughter, and he was blessed without the plagues of Kate's demonic apparition.

He knew it was not the real Kate; the real Kate would not act this way. He'd talked to the real Kate, his real mate after her death when he and Kacey first mated in the dunes beyond the D'Tyoni valley. She was still very much the same she-wolf he'd known before the Great War, so this shaded demon spirit could only be his mind trying to seize control of him and destroy him indefinitely. He couldn't allow that to happen; he had to be there for his mate and their soon-to-be-born pups. He needed to be sane for his daughter and his pack, and he would still need to lead them.

The startling realization finally occurred to Humphrey that leading them was no longer a necessity. They lived with the Jagged Ice pack now; how could that possibly be a bad thing? With the peace and prosperity of living with these wolves, there was no further need to go searching for the Pack of the Winter Mountains. This was where they belonged now; they had grown used to seeing the other wolves and the two packs had mingled together nicely. What was the point in searching for a group of wolves that probably didn't exist when they were in Humphrey's blood-origin pack? He had no wish to go searching for them now; he'd been reintroduced to his sister and the pack that had originally cared for him before the night he was whisked away by his father. This was the place that Kacey's pups would be born as well, meaning that this would become their permanent home. For so long they had searched relentlessly for a home that they could belong in after Jasper was destroyed, and now they finally had it. Throwing it away would be casting a fool's paw.

All that they needed now was for Kala to return home to them. He'd make a point to interrogate Faolan and ensure that they did not mate on their journey, and if it turned out that they did, he'd also ensure that he would never again be able take advantage of his daughter again. This was the price he'd pay if those events had transpired, and all he could do was hope that this was not the case. Brushing those thoughts away, he returned his attention to the serenity of the world around them. He looked at his mate with loving eyes and smiled. She turned and saw him looking at her. She smiled and playfully flicked his face with her tail. He grinned and nuzzled her affectionately and she licked the side of his face with a smile. The two stood there for a long while, staring into each other's eyes. He became lost in the dark pink irises of her dazzlingly beautiful eyes, Kacey losing her sense of reality within Humphrey's bright blue eyes. They locked their muzzles in a long kiss and pulled away slowly, the two grinning sheepishly. Kacey began to walk through the forest once more, Humphrey falling into peaceful step beside her.

As they walked on, however, Kacey began to pant heavily from exhaustion and she began to sweat uncontrollably underneath her fur. Humphrey looked at her, concerned, and noticed that her nose was bone dry, heat radiating from his mate. He knew that fevers could always be a bad sign, especially in times of pregnancy, and he coaxed her to return back to the cave with him. She nodded and they walked slowly back to the den. Whatever was ailing her only seemed to grow worse as they continued on, however, and she had to stop several times, rumbling sounds emitting from her belly.

Humphrey assumed that she was hungry and assured her with an amused smile that they'd be able to eat once they returned. Kacey, however, did not seem to hear him. Her body convulsed and she arched her back. She gritted her fangs together and scrunched her eyes in obvious physical pain. Humphrey was now incredibly worried, trying frantically to figure out what was wrong with his mate. She began to breathe heavily and suddenly, she released water from her lower region, gasping for air. She looked up at Humphrey wide eyed; they both knew that her water had just been broken, and they both knew that she was going into labor now, ready to give birth to her pups.

Without hesitation, Humphrey let out a summoning howl, crying out to anyone that may be able to assist them. He was quickly answered by the familiar howl of Scourge, and Humphrey reached out his mind to the black wolf. He and Scourge had practiced their gift of telepathy at lengths, finally mastering the art of speaking through their minds. Unfortunately, due to the great many leagues that Kala was from them, Humphrey could not converse with his daughter through mental contact.

_Scourge, you have to get over here, quickly! _Humphrey called out. Scourge's mind brushed against his moments later.

_What's going on?_ He asked.

_Kacey's giving birth!_ Humphrey cried out. _I need your help getting her back to the cave! _Scourge complied and they broke mental contact. Humphrey supported his mate's side as they began to walk quickly to the cave. Kacey groaned in pain and had to stop on several occasions, clutching her belly. Scourge appeared moments later and he began to help her through as well. They finally broke through the tree line and began to walk up the hill, but Humphrey stopped and looked back, feeling cold all over.

Kate was sitting there, watching them. She had told him that she would appear one last time, one last confrontation with his darkest fears. He growled and told Scourge to take her back so he could attend to personal matters. He nodded and Humphrey assured Kacey that he'd return soon. They walked up to the cave and Humphrey stared down at his first love. She walked back into the forest, the darkness swallowing her whole. Humphrey followed her through, ready to finish what he'd started.

**Day 655 (Two Days Ago)**

**Kala**

Kala, Faolan, Marcel, and Iris did not encounter any opposition on the way back to the desert. Despite her dislike towards him, Kala was grateful that Fenrir had kept his word about no creature attempting to harm them until they returned to the Jagged Ice Ĝarnaw. They had taken their time returning to the desert, none of them eager to have to trek through to find Fenrir's buried temple again. They spent three days walking and having fun before they finally reached the mountains marking the border around the desert.

They all made sure to get as much water as their gullets could contain before beginning their journey through the hot, sandy dunes. The heat still bore down on them with relentless action, but Kala was better prepared now and refused to let herself faint from heatstroke a second time. With Marcel and Iris' help, they were able to find Fenrir's temple far quicker than they had the first time. They plunged into the cool darkness of the buried stone structure and walked through the arched halls until they found the water pool that they'd first talked to him at.

At the other end of pool he sat with his pale back turned to them, the blood-red symbols etched into his flesh shining. In respect to the god, Faolan and Kala bowed their heads and mimicked the correct submission postures required of wolves when addressing one of higher authority. Iris and Marcel did their best to replicate the submission posture, the two lying on Kala's left, Faolan on her right. For a long while, Fenrir was utterly silent, refusing to make contact with them. They waited…and waited…and they waited still longer, but Fenrir refused to turn and look at them. Kala seethed, knowing that he must think it amusing for them to waste their time as they were.

Kala stood up and glared at him, waiting for the god to turn around and speak to her. Still, he refused to do so. Kala began to pace impatiently, waiting for him to cease the foolhardy, immature actions. When he still did not, Kala growled exasperatedly and kicked water at him from the pool. He growled and turned to them, glaring at them through his large, blind eyes.

"You have an uncanny knack for disrespecting your superiors, pup," he growled at her.

"I am no pup, Fenrir," Kala proclaimed. "And I have found my True Name."

"Oh?" He questioned, turning to look at them. "In comparison to my ancient life, you are nothing but a newborn pup in my blind eyes. Now, what is your True Name and where did you discover it?"

She began to explain their journey and how she came across the revelation of her True Name, the name that defined her as the she-wolf that she was. However, she neglected to inform Fenrir of her True Name, and she blocked her mind from his power.

A mental battle began to ensue between the two, but Kala's defenses around her mind were strong. She focused on one thing and one thing only: Kate. She threw forth a massive barrier around her mind of memories and visions she'd seen from the courtesy of her mother, her Spirit Guide. Fenrir growled and searched every bit of the barrier, searching for a weakness that he could use to punch through and find her True Name, but Kala's will was stronger than he'd anticipated and he could not breach her defenses. As the battle continued, Kala gritted her fangs and dug her claws into the sand-covered ground, her body becoming rigid as he tried to break her, to find the secrets of her True Name. When it became clearly evident that she would not break, he ceased his futile attempts and withdrew from her conscious. Kala opened her eyes and glared at Fenrir.

He had a proud smile on his face, and he nodded to Kala in gruff approval for her successful mind barrier. For another wolf to learn their True Name was to give a terrible power over that wolf. If Fenrir knew Kala's True Name, then he could take control of all aspects of her life simply by speaking her name. Fenrir had to give this young she-wolf credit; despite his preconceived ruminations of her, she was far wiser than he'd anticipated.

"Well, it appears that your first Trial has been completed," Fenrir mused. Kala did not respond, still glaring at the god. Marcel and Iris averted their attention from the Dire Wolf, refusing to look at his repulsive form. Fenrir told them to drink from the pool, so the four of them obliged and drank. Suddenly, something overcame them that they could not comprehend. Unlike the first time they'd drank from this water, something happened to them.

Raw energy coursed through their veins and they felt their bodies become tougher and more durable. All injuries they'd ever suffered in the past vanished, leaving them as flawless creatures. Fenrir, however, cringed as four new red markings blistered from his flesh, blood spurting out from his body and lying in the sand. He gasped in pain and Kala realized what the Dire Wolf did. He'd siphoned their pain from them and transported it to himself. That was why the Dire Wolf was so hideously deformed; he granted any being the gift of healing at the cost of himself. He'd lost his fur, his sight, some of his fangs, parts of his tongue, and suffered countless marks across his body for the service he did for those that came to him.

"You're stepmother will give birth within two days," he told her. Kala's eyes widened and Fenrir continued. "You're minds have played tricks upon you; where it may have felt like three days of wandering, it has been thirteen. There is, however, hope for you to reach your Ĝarnaw in time. As I promised, you will have no encounters by any hostile creature until you return within the radius of the Ĝarnaw, and the strength I granted will allow you two to run faster and longer than ever before, and for you two birds to fly faster and longer than you could ever possibly comprehend. If you leave quickly, you will reach the Ĝarnaw within at least five minutes before the pups are born." Kala nodded and thanked the god, bowing her head in respects to him. With that, the four rushed out of the temple, Fenrir watching after them. _She will become a most remarkable Full Wolf,_ Fenrir thought to himself before retiring to his inner sanctum.

**Day 657 (Current Date)**

**Humphrey**

Humphrey raced through the trees, crashed through the bracken and undergrowth, and pursued Kate into the darkness of the forest, heedless of anything around him. Kacey was depending on him to return to her in this time, but Humphrey knew that he'd never be at peace until he confronted his darkest fear and rid this horrid apparition of the she-wolf he'd fallen in love with from his mind. This was the last thing he needed to do before he could return to the peace and prosperity of his sane mind, to return to the Omega that he'd always been.

Suddenly, he was slammed to a tree. He felt long, dark tendrils wrap around his neck and hoist him into the air, grinding him against the tree. He looked down to see the mutilated, blackened corpse that was his former mate standing on her hind paws, holding him back against the tree. Her eyes glowed crimson, and a demonic red light streamed from her mouth every time it opened. He struggled against her, but Kate would not let go of him.

_WHO AM I, HUMPHREY? WHY CAN'T YOU LET ME GO?_ She screamed at him. _WHAT AM I TO YOU? AM I YOUR LOVE? AM I THAT BRIGHT, SHINING STAR THAT YOU HOLD CLOSEST TO YOUR HEART? OR AM I YOUR GUILT? AM I NOTHING TO YOU BUT SOMETHING THAT HOLDS YOU DOWN AND MAKES YOU REGRET EVER BEING NEAR ME? NOW I WILL ASK YOU ONE LAST TIME, HUMPHREY: WHO AM I?_

Humphrey struggled against her, the tendrils wrapping tighter around his neck and choking the life from him. He grasped her arms, clawing her blackened arm. He met her eyes and let tears flow from them.

"You're my mate," he told her. "You're my everything, and I can't let you go because you're all that I have left." He felt the tendrils slacken and he fell to the ground, rubbing his throat. He looked up and saw that Kate was no longer the blacked, hideous corpse that she was moments earlier. She was the beautiful, tawny-furred she-wolf that he'd fallen so deeply in love with. She looked at him and smiled, then began to talk, though no longer telepathically.

"Redemption," she whispered. "That is all that you have left to discover before this is all over."

"We're at peace, my love," Humphrey said. "What more redemption is needed before it's over? Moreover, what do you mean? Before what's over? We're safe, Kate…"

"No, not yet," she cooed, nuzzling his face. "I wish you were safe, but I wish for many things. You have overcome your demons, Humphrey…you have admitted that what you have buried so deep for nearly two years. Now return to your mate, my love, and meet your three pups...you and Kacey will be able to have the future we could only dream of having together."

"Kate," he pleaded as she walked away. "Please don't leave me, Kate…" She smiled and pressed her nose to his. They closed their eyes and she whispered into his ear.

"I'll never leave you, Humph," she told him sweetly. "We're one, my love…" He opened his eyes and suddenly, she was gone. He lowered his head in sorrow, but knew that there was no time for grieving now. He ran back to the Ĝarnaw and back to Kacey.

**Day 657 (Current Date)**

**Kala**

The four rushed through the forest, running past the Night Watchers, the D'Tyoni, and even a Longfang that tried to pursue them. Whenever they came close, however, an invisible barrier around them knocked the creatures away, keeping them away from the traveling companions. They ran and ran without end for two days, not stopping for food, water, or rest, for as Fenrir had granted them, they did not require it until after they returned to the Ĝarnaw.

They ran up the hill, exiting the forest and returning to the Ĝarnaw. Fatigue hit them immediately, the four collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Their bellies were empty and their throats were parched, all that any of them wanted to do was sleep for the next two days. Kala, however, determinedly got to her paws and shook them, getting her three friends upward. They forced themselves to run to the cave, Humphrey running forward.

Kala called out to her father and he looked back to see the four returning. A massive grin spread to his face and he ran to Kala, embracing her in a tight hug, Kala breaking down in front of him. He cooed to her, whispering gently to her, never wanting to let his daughter go. Faolan looked as though he was left out of place and began to walk back to his den solemnly. Humphrey asked where Marcel and Iris had been, but then remembered that they were pressed for time at the moment and told Kala that Kacey was giving birth. She nodded and they ran into the cave.

Kacey was lying on the ground, breathing heavily. Narami had a paw on her chest, telling her calmly to take deep breaths. When she saw Humphrey, she told him to go wait in the front of the cave, doing the same with all of the other wolves. Kala, however, was requested to stay. She blinked and looked at her father. He nodded and Kala padded up to the two she-wolves.

"Kala," Narami told her. "When the pups come out, they will be encased in a clear type of casing. You will have to quickly bite through it and get the pups out, and then open up their mouths and clear the blood from their throats. Press on their chests and bellies lightly if you can't get it all out so they can cough it up. Afterwards, lick their pelts the opposite way so they can get warmth. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Kala said. Narami nodded and told Kacey to push. Kacey's face scrunched in pain and she let loose a pained scream. From her she-wolfhood came a small casing as Narami had said. Kala caught it and bit open the clear membrane casing. It was a small grey male pup. She opened its mouth and used a claw as a hook to take out the clotted blood out. The pup began to cough and mewl piteously. She smiled and began to lick it vigorously.

She repeated the process with the next two. The second pup was a small brown-furred female with a white underbelly and white paws like her mother. The third was another grey female with predominantly brown ears and paws. Kacey gasped for air and pulled the three pups close to her, letting them reach her teats and drink their mother's milk from. She gave a choked sob of happiness and glee when she saw the three small pups. She pet them gently with her tail and let tears of happiness fall from her face. Kala smiled and congratulated Kacey, then nuzzled each pup gently.

Kala padded back outside and retrieved her father. When he saw the three small lives curled closely to Kacey's belly, he let his jaw drop in awe. Kacey giggled at him and the three gathered around, lying beside one another. Now, it was time for the naming of the pups. Kala and Kacey looked at Humphrey and he looked down at the small grey male.

"Ryker," he named the pup, licking its head. The two looked at Kala and she spotted the small grey pup with brown ears and paws. She smiled at her.

"Luna," she named her, licking it between the ears. They looked expectantly at Kacey and her eyes spotted the small pup in the middle. Humphrey wondered which of the names she'd said before that she'd take to name it. Surprisingly, she chose none of them. She bent over and licked its head.

"Kate," she said softly.

**End Act 3: The Wolf of the Prophecy**

**A/N: Well, there you all have it! The next Act will be the last of this story, and I'm sure none of you are going to guess what's going to happen next! Also, I talked to my girlfriend yesterday about the two of us making a story together, and she seemed pretty excited about the idea. We'll be doing that soon and I'll cease to make daily updates. The most will be every-other day for this series (ex. Monday this story, Tuesday story with my girlfriend, Wednesday this story, so on). When we start writing it, I'll direct you all to where it is! She came up with a really great concept for a love story and I'm really excited to write it with her! We'll each take turns writing every other chapter so you can see two different writing styles in the story!**

**Also, I won't be updating much this week because I'm editing my girlfriend's novel and we may possibly be starting the story together this week. She'll write the first chapter, then I get the second **** and I'm really excited to do this! I should be finished with editing her story by next weekend, hopefully by this upcoming Friday. Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, The-crazy-lone-wolf77, imjustlikehumphrey, LilyandMe, and the dark shadow for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	39. The Lord of Snakes

**Act 4: The Great Wolf**

**Day 705**

**Kala**

"Kala!" A small voice cried. Kala opened her eyes tiredly, the golden light of the early morning streaming into the cave. Kala blinked her eyes several times and yawned widely, displaying her array of sharp fangs. She looked to her right and saw the small bundle of fur beside her; Kate's tail was wagging furiously, her tongue lolling out of her mouth and her eyes bright and glimmering with joy and excitement. She was, of the three, the most rambunctious of the group and proved herself to be full Omega, always wanting to have as much fun as possible.

Humphrey loved this about his daughter. It seemed that he finally found a way to rekindle the Omega personality long buried in his heart and could have fun again. Kala had taken quite well to the pups and was happy to have them around. Luckily, her father had not forgotten her like she had worried he would; he made just as much time devoted to Kala as was devoted to his mate and newborn pups. Kala looked about to see where the other pups were and saw Ryker lying down beside Scourge and Luna chasing after a fluttering butterfly.

Ryker had taken quite a liking to Scourge. He was a shy pup and didn't quite know how to associate well amongst the others, but Scourge's gruff silence was welcomed. He accepted Ryker well enough and enjoyed his company for the most part. Luna, on the other paw, was a more outgoing and prideful she-pup. She loved to talk with as many wolves as possible and her personality gave away her potential for an Alpha. Kate, however, was indefinitely the fun-loving Omega of the three pups and was constantly pestering wolves to play with them. In Kala's unfortunate case, she wanted to have fun after while she was sleeping. Kala growled and lied back down, closing her eyes. Still, Kate yipped in her ear and bopped her nose with her paws. Kala narrowed her eyes at the she-pup as she tried to wake her up. Unfortunately for her, Kala was quite stubborn like her mother. Unfortunately for Kala, however, Kate was just as stubborn and persistent. She leapt on Kala's back and pranced across her. Kala leaned slightly to the side and Kate slipped, falling to the ground while Kala tried to get back to sleep. Kate knew now that there was only one resort for her to go to.

She darted behind Kala and bit her tail. As soon as she felt the tiny fangs go into her tail, Kala's eyes shot open and she whirled around with a snarl. Kate grinned sheepishly as Kala rose to her paws, glaring down at the small she-pup. She growled at Kate and then stalked away, lying down in a tight ball on the far side of the wall. Kate, however, was not yet finished with her attempts to get Kala to play with her.

"Kala," she whined meekly. Kala grunted in response, refusing to turn. Kate did, however, have her attention. "Why won't you play with me?"

"Why can't you just let me sleep peacefully for once?" She retorted coldly. Kate felt stung by the comment and drooped her tail and ears, padding away sullenly.

"You never want to play with me, Kala," she murmured sadly. "I'm sorry for waking you up." She began to slowly pad away, sulking. Kala watched the she-pup go and sighed; she always managed to make the wolves want to play with her one way or another, and this would be no exception. Kala got up and stretched, padding over to Kate. She bopped the small she-pup on the nose and grinned. Kate squealed in happiness and began to chase Kala about the cave.

They ran outside and into the Ĝarnaw, Kala slowing to allow the pup to catch up, and then speeding to keep Kate from catching her. This did, in a way, aggravate and frustrate the she-pup, but that did not mean that she wasn't having fun. Kala leapt over Kate and twisted her body around to face her while the she-pup began to turn around to chase her elder sister again. Kala ran at Kate again, but this time, Kate was ready for Kala to pull the same maneuver and intercepted her, tagging her sister. Kate giggled and began to run for her life.

Kala smiled and ran after her, the two sprinting about and continuing their game of tag until the sun was high in the sky, the rays reflecting off of the ice claws jutting from the Jagged Ice Mountain's steep peak. Kate was it again and Kala seemed to have outrun her little sister. She rounded a bend and skidded to a halt, nearly running directly into Faolan. Their eyes widened and they looked at each other in shock when they realized that their noses were touching. Kala quickly pulled away from him, flattening her ears in embarrassment, hot blood flushing in her face underneath her fur.

Faolan grinned at her and playfully licked her face. She smiled at him and then ran off to continue her game with Kate. She and Faolan had grown close over the past forty eight days, the wolves becoming close friends. They began talking a lot more and playing games with the pups, the two having an incredible amount of fun with one another. The unfortunate part of this matter, however, was Humphrey. He still did not trust Faolan and harbored distaste towards the blue-grey furred wolf, always preferring that he or another trusted wolf was keeping a watchful eye on them at all times. The last thing he was going to allow his daughter to do was be alone with him, especially at her youthful age. Had circumstances of age been better suited, Humphrey would have encouraged their bonded friendship, but Faolan was still so foreign to them and Kala was not yet even two years of age; he wasn't going to allow him to take advantage of his daughter if that was one of his motives.

Kala was incredulous as to why her father would persist in his distrust toward Faolan; all he had ever been was a sweet, caring wolf that liked to have fun. Wasn't that what Humphrey himself was? She resented the fact that he couldn't trust her being alone with her friend. It wasn't as though they were in a serious relationship yet, and Kala was still very much against becoming mates with any wolf at this point in her life.

There was, however, a mutual relationship between them. Kacey, Lily, and Sweets had all encouraged Kala to try being with Faolan to see what kind of experience she'd gain from it and Kala eventually caved and obliged. Although initially hesitant, Faolan proved to be a quite suitable companion to her and truly did care about her. This was the aspect about Faolan that she found most remarkable; she'd been warned to never go after the wolves that sought only after a she-wolf's physical appearance and body, but Faolan didn't seem to care about either aspect at all (though he did compliment her looks on the proper occasions, Kala happily blushing underneath her fur every time he did so). Faolan only seemed to like her for being herself, and for that alone Kala was grateful.

Kacey had encouraged her daughter to keep staying with him and try to make a long-lasting relationship with the wolf, but Kala refuted her claim on two accounts. The first was that, despite how she would love to do so, her father would most certainly not approve of her doing so. The second was that, despite her feelings for the wolf, she did not wish to become mates with anyone as of yet, much less to become a mother to pups at all. At one quite awkward point of their relationship, they had been walking through the forest trying to find a place that would be safe and secure to take the pups to if they wanted to play somewhere different. Marcel and Iris flew in and landed in front of the two and Marcel demanded to know what they were doing. Kala tried to explain, but he would not have it despite its truth, accusing them of sneaking off to 'repopulate.' The face that Faolan made disturbed Kala, and Marcel said it was the same expression Humphrey had had when he and Kate were informed that they were to repopulate Idaho. Evidently, it seemed, male wolves all have the exact same reaction when they hear the word 'repopulate.' For that matter, it was far more probable that every male in every species in existence had that exact same reaction to hearing the word, especially in the presence of an attractive female that they were connected to emotionally.

Kala shook her head of the memories and thoughts of Faolan; despite her infatuation for the wolf, she most certainly was not in love with him, nor did she have any aspiration to fall for him at all, seeking a more solitary life of freedom and independence that she was granted now. She couldn't ask for a better life, but knew that there was still one more thing she needed to do to achieve purpose, worth, and make what would be the greatest accomplishment of her life: to become a Full Wolf.

Since their return from finding her True Name, Kala had been sent on two more grueling tasks in the multiple Trials and challenges that would be required to prevail in before become Full Wolf. The second Trial was to survive one week alone in the forest, and Kala was forbidden to use the mountains in the night to escape the Night Watchers. To combat this, she rolled about in mud and-repulsive as it was-even rolled about in scat to mask her scent and become virtually invisible in the forest. Night Watchers relied on their senses of scent to track their prey. Without eyes or ears, it was one of the few senses that they had retained. Kala also found this tactic to quite useful in hunting during the daytime hours and allowed her to survive the challenge.

The third Trial was significantly more challenging than the first two. Kala was to search for the egg of a falcon and safely return it to the Ĝarnaw within three sunrises. It was easy enough to find the egg, but getting to it was an entirely different ordeal. The nest was resting on a ledge along a precariously steep cliff. A drop from such drastic heights would kill any being easily, but just as before, Kala had successfully prevailed and retrieved the Falcon's egg, returning it promptly to the Ĝarnaw.

These successful Trials had awarded Kala with new Spirit Markings. She was painted the same star markings on the tops of her paws for the completing the first Trial, two strips on the back of her neck for the second, and intertwining lines on her legs for the third. There were now only two more Trials to complete, and Saren had assured her that he would reveal it to the pack later that afternoon. As if on cue, Saren's summoning howl called out across the territory. Kala looked back and Faolan padded towards her. He nuzzled her affectionately and together, the two padded to the gathering place at Saren's den.

They padded up to stand beside the Leader Wolf and the rest of the two packs assembled to observe what was about to transpire. Icerin sat on the other side of Saren, glaring coldly at him. After the moons of their being with the Jagged Ice pack, Icerin still harbored a grudge against Saren for allowing the Jasper wolves to stay with them.

"Today," Saren proclaimed. "Is another great day is granted by the Great Fenrisúlfur and her mate, Fenrir." (Faolan and Kala had agreed not to reveal that the origins of the wolf gods were quite different from the beliefs of the Jasper and Jagged Ice wolves; the last thing they needed was for their faith to be shaken to its core). "We thank them for their continued grace. As you all know, Kala of Jasper is taking on the Trials to attaining the mantle of Full Wolf. Today, we shall release what is undoubtedly the most difficult of all tasks required to become a Full Wolf. Today, we shall awaken the Basilisk and Kala shall take a fang from its maw."

The Jagged Ice wolves nodded, most of them looking worried and sympathetic towards Kala. Even Faolan seemed quite uneasy about the ordeal. She couldn't understand why this would be so; why would they all be so worried?

"What's a Basilisk?" She whispered to Faolan. He gulped and took a shaky breath.

"A Basilisk," he replied. "Is a giant snake; one of the likes that you have never seen before, one that your darkest nightmares could not devise. It is called the Lord of the Snakes in our tongue. It is unable to be killed, so we must resort to finding a way to snatch one of its smaller fangs from its mouth."

"Why do you go after the small fangs?" She asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to take the larger ones?"

"The largest fangs are coated in venom that will kill you instantly just by the most faint of tastes," he replied. You have to be quick, yank out the fang, and leave as quickly as possible. It is attainable and you may take two wolves with you, but it is the most dangerous and difficult Trials ever to exist." Kala nodded and returned her attention to Saren. When he asked what wolves she would like to take with her to complete the challenge, she chose Faolan and her father. Humphrey padded up from the crowd and stood beside her, his jaw clenched. Evidently, he knew what a Basilisk was.

With that, the wolves-save for the mothers and their young pups-set out for the forest. They took a path Kala was not familiar with and they eventually arrived in a large stone canyon. The rock was grey and the place bore the ancient bones of wolves and other animals that had fallen prey to the might of the Basilisk. Kala's throat suddenly felt dry and her heart beat faster in apprehension and worry. What if she didn't make it out of this Trial with her life?

The other wolves gathered around the edges of the canyon and the three companions walked to the center, standing there, waiting for something to happen. There was an eerie silence; it was truly the calm before the storm. The wolves above began to slam a paw to the ground in a steady rhythm, the echo reverberating through the canyon. Suddenly, there was a great rumble from the ground and all of the wolves stood silently, waiting.

A massive head burst through the rock ground, an equally elongated and enormous body emerging as well. Black scales glistened and two long fangs stretched from the roof of its mouth, black venom dripping from them. It released a loud, horrendous shriek into the air before falling to the ground, slithering through the canyon. Kala was paralyzed with fear; the Basilisk was beyond all descriptions of enormous. The long fangs of the snake were easily thrice the length of a wolf from tail tip to nose, the eyes as large as boulders. It was easily eighty meters in length and at least ten meters in radius width. It didn't take a genius to understand why the Basilisk was deemed impossible to kill.

Humphrey's eyes widened and he looked at his daughter, shocked that she'd even try to follow through with such an impossible, death-seeking task. Kala, for a moment, felt her heart stop and her body was clenched in icy tendrils of fear as she stared in terror at the Basilisk. The last three Trials were reasonably difficult, but this? This was a horror that would send Fenrir cowering in the deepest recesses of his temple. Kala couldn't do this; no wolf could do this! Yet, that was not true, for even Faolan had managed to succeed in this Trial. She had come too far to back down now; it was time for her to face this Lord of Snakes and continue to the final Trial and become Full Wolf.

Summoning her bravery, she sent a silent prayer to her mother, hoping for a sign of how she would steal the fang and complete the challenge without any of the three dying in the process. The Basilisk's massive yellow eyes glared around at the wolves above. As soon as its gaze passed over some of them, they froze in place, the rest of the wolves quickly averting their gaze. That's when Kala realized how the Basilisk caught its prey with such ease: it wasn't just the fact that it was a massive reptilian monstrosity with the prowess and predatory skills greater than the Ancients themselves, but rather the fact that direct eye contact petrified its prey. Kala relayed the information to Humphrey and Faolan, though Faolan was already quite aware of the petrification effects.

"It takes two seconds of eye contact for you to become petrified," Faolan warned them. "If it looks at you, look away as fast as you can. The closer we get to where the Basilisk came up, the more reflective the rock is going to be. Anticipate its movements by looking at its reflection. Leader Wolf Humphrey, sir; we'll have to distract the Basilisk long enough for Kala to get a fang. As soon as she howls, we run away as fast as possible. The Basilisk won't come out of the canyon, but it'll chase us all the way out." Humphrey and Kala nodded and they began to walk forward. The Basilisk whipped its massive head to and fro, surveying the wolves on the edges of the canyon. Dark clouds hovered over the sky, the scent of precipitation heavy in the air.

The Basilisk's head was well over fifteen meters in the air, perhaps even twenty with plenty more of its body coiled on the ground below. It hissed, venom flying from its mouth and hitting the rock walls of the canyon, the acidic poisons burning away at the stone. Rain began to sprinkle from the sky and soak the ground. Kala unsheathed her claws, Humphrey and Faolan doing the same. This, however, proved to be a tactical error on their part. The Basilisk could hear them, whipping its head to look at them. They immediately looked away and Kala noticed its dark reflection in the mirror-like rock below. Its petrifying gaze did not affect them through its reflection.

It hissed and looked directly at Kala. She sprinted to the side and heard it shriek as it gave chase. Faolan and Humphrey, however, attacked the Basilisk while it did so, distracting it from her. The Basilisk was not injured, though; its impenetrable scale hide prevented any form of outside hostile attack. It was, however, an annoyance to the Basilisk and it turned to them. Faolan and Humphrey leaped away as the creature lashed at them. It hissed and gave chase to Faolan. He darted behind a rock jutting from the ground and the Basilisk bit into the rock. Kala leapt at the Basilisk and grabbed hold of one of its fangs, yanking on it. The Basilisk, infuriated, shook her off. She smashed into a rock wall, stunned.

Humphrey saw her and snarled. He leapt at the Basilisk and grabbed hold of a nook in its scales. He climbed up its head and attacked the Basilisk's left eye. He sank his claws into the eye and ripped at it. Black-green blood flew from its eye and the Basilisk screamed in agony. It shook its head in horror and pain, partly blinded from the damage Humphrey caused. Faolan leapt from his hiding place, but the Basilisk's right eye was still very much functional. It spotted Faolan and he made eye contact. He froze in place, rigidly looking at the Basilisk in horror. Humphrey dug his forepaws into the Basilisk's right eye socket and heaved, tearing the eye out completely. He did the same with the left eye and blood painted the face of the Basilisk.

It whipped its head violently and Humphrey slammed to the ground. He groaned and opened his eyes, only to be met with the gaze of the yellow eye he had torn out without previously damaging. He was instantly petrified. Kala groaned, rising painfully to her paws. She looked in terror as the Basilisk screamed, blood flying from its empty sockets. Its ears and nose, however, were still undamaged and very much useful to it. It scented Humphrey and Faolan and Kala could only watch as it glared at them with its sightless face.

_The scales are impenetrable, _a familiar voice whispered. Kala recognized it as Fenrir; the ancient Dire Wolf was telepathically communicating with her. _Its fangs are only venomous on the exterior, not the interior, and they are most certainly destructible_. Kala nodded, understanding what he was saying. She howled aggressively at it and the Basilisk snarled, turning its attention to her. The rain was now pouring heavily as they stared each other down. The Lord of Snakes and the Wolf of the Stars rushed forward.

The Basilisk lunged, but Kala dove underneath it, sliding on the slick rock and avoiding its fangs. It slammed its nose into the ground and growled in frustration as Kala leapt onto its back and began pounding at the scales. It reared its hideous face once more and darted at her with lightning-quick speed. Kala, however, was faster than the blind snake and it sank its fangs into its hard scales. Immediately, the fangs shattered. The Basilisk screeched in fury and pain, Kala quickly darting over. One of the massive, venomous fangs lay on the ground, the bone root of the fang jutting upward, allowing something for her to use as a handle to carry the fang. She ran with it towards the rock Faolan had hid behind and climbed up to the top. She made a raucous noise and attracted its attention once more. It slithered forward menacingly and darted once more, its broken-fanged mouth opening to engulf her. Kala gritted her fangs and shoved the fang into the roof of its mouth, the top protruding from its skull above.

The Basilisk immediately cried out in pain. It lashed its head and screamed more and more, blood and venom flying from it. Finally, it crashed to the ground, the deadly, poisonous venom taking its toll on the Lord of Snakes. She leapt down and noticed Humphrey and Faolan beginning to revive from their petrification. She padded through the blood-stained ground and rain, looking down at the battered, bloodied creature. Despite its horror, the Basilisk was a mighty, amazing creature, and, like Fenrir, the last of its kind. Kala placed a paw on the side of its bloodied face, the Basilisk moaning in pain.

"Rest, my brother," Kala whispered. She knew not where the saying had come from; it had come to her instinctually, as though it was meant to be said to the dying creature. "You have done well. Now, rest." The Basilisk seemed to have heard her; whether it knew what she said or not Kala did not know, nor would she ever, but at that moment, the Basilisk let out a long, heavy breath…and it did not bleed again.

Kala reached inside of its bloodied maw and ripped out a fang. She held it upward and presented it to the wolves around them. She placed it on the ground, and then threw back her head and howled triumphantly. After the initial shock that Kala had killed the millennium-old beast of legend, the wolves began to howl with her.

**Dusk**

The death of the Basilisk was perhaps the most extraordinary thing that any wolf had ever witnessed, and to see that Kala had taken its life single-pawed left the wolves in awe. Many of the Jagged Ice wolves revered her, some of them even praising her as a goddess. She was flustered by these saying and dismissed them as mere, overzealous flattery. There were, however, some wolves that were not particularly pleased with her actions. Despite the circumstances, the Basilisk had been the fourth Trial since the time of the Dire Wolves, and every year, it would regrow the fangs it lost. Now that it was dead by the vicarious actions of Kala, the Trials would need to be revised. Nonetheless, it was a night for rejoice, and it would also be the night of Kala's final Trial. As the Summer Solstice neared, Saren and the Shaman found it imperative that Kala be recognized as Full Wolf if she survived the final Trial, and they were convinced that she would perfectly fine with the final Trial at the end of the night.

Kala felt energized and filled with adrenaline from the pure horror and insanity that was presented with the battle with the Basilisk. Humphrey was speechless and beyond all pride for his daughter. Faolan was awed and clung to her as though she was the most royal and honored of goddesses. Kala decided to have fun with this and teasingly commanded Faolan about as though he was, the blue-grey wolf playing along as well and turning their activities into a new type of game. Upon their return, Kala was led by the Jagged Ice Mountain by Faolan. Before she could ask what they were back there for, he kissed her. She was initially taken aback, but within moments realized that she enjoyed it.

They began to kiss more, the intensity strengthening as they continued the passionate activity. They began to kiss faster, harder, more passionate, desperately, lustfully, hungrily. Finally, Kala broke away from him, Faolan grinning widely at her. Kala flattened her ears and shuffled her paws in embarrassment. He nuzzled her and Kala giggled. They sat together, enjoying the bliss and warmth of one another. Faolan leaned in close and whispered into her ear.

"I love you, Kala," he told her gently. Her heart began to beat faster and she felt as though there was a swarm of butterflies in her belly. She knew that she loved him as well and he continued, warming her heart and making her blush. "I've loved you ever since I first saw you come into the pack. I'll do anything to be with you Kala, if, of course, you'll have me." She flashed him a small smile, but it quickly faded away.

"You're a very sweet wolf, Faolan," she told him carefully. "And you're a great friend, but…I don't think I'm ready. I've wanted to be independent, to be a free she-wolf. I still want that, Faolan."

"But surely being happy with someone else is more than happiness alone!" Faolan protested.

"I'm sorry Faolan," she said, walking away. Faolan was about to say something to her, but he nodded and padded away sadly. Kala didn't feel well throughout dinner, sickened with herself for what she did. Faolan was a good wolf and she had just broken Faolan's heart. What kind of a monster was she?

Lily had tried to find Firetail to congratulate her, but he'd since been very distant for moons and refused to see her. After the feast, Kala was presented more Spirit Markings by the pack: four lines running down her muzzle. The markings made her quite the striking she-wolf and the pride and love of the pack flowed through her. Faolan, despite his rejection, had come as well, still smiling and happy for her.

"Kala," Saren said, approaching her. "Your final Trial is a final confrontation battle with another wolf who has taken part in these Trials. Only one may pass the Trials at a time. The other wolf has requested to keep this quite secretive and we have obliged. Prepare, Kala Star Wolf, prepare." The wolves moved out in a large circle around the Ĝarnaw.

At the other end of the circle stood a male wolf. He appeared to be around her age and had rugged, horrifically unkempt brown fur. He began to brush the fur down and reveal hidden white markings across his body and brushed the bangs from his face, revealing more Spirit Markings. He flicked a tail with an odd white, natural-furred marking on it.

"FIRETAIL?" She exclaimed.

**A/N: INTENSE! What will happen next? Well guys, if you haven't already noticed, me and my girlfriend RexieCakes have begun our collaboration story on her profile! We each update every other chapter, so daily updates for this story will no longer be happening, but I'll still be writing with Rexie on our story!**

**Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, MoonTrekerAF, The-crazy-lone-wolf77, the dark shadow, and LilyandMe for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	40. Blood Night

**A/N: Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, Alexander, the dark shadow, The-crazy-lone-wolf77, and LilyandMe for reviewing the last chapter. This chapter includes an excess amount of blood, gore, and unprecedented violence. Reader discretion is advised. Thanks for reading, until next time.**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**

The Jasper wolves gasped when they saw Firetail standing at the other end of the Ĝarnaw, calmly padding towards the inner ring where Kala was standing rigidly. He bore the Spirit Markings all across his body that proved he, too, had completed every individual Trial that Kala had. No, that couldn't be! That was impossible! Where could he have had the time to do that? Every night he returned to the cave, every single night! He couldn't have so much as completed the first Trial by doing that! No, this had to be some kind of a joke; this was Firetail's way to try and get back at her for winning in the dominance battle. He wanted to be the Alpha and he failed, so this must be some kind of ruse to intimidate her. Firetail couldn't have gone through the Trials; there was no possible way!

Yet around his neck hung a single, long, black fang tied within a reed; it was the fang of a Basilisk. His eyes burned with hatred for her and she realized that this was deeper than just the dominance battle; that was the final straw for him. She'd seen him run away with tears in his eyes that night, she knew how hurt he'd been when she won and he lost. Ever since she was able to talk, the pack had always paid attention to her and neglected Firetail. Even his adoption parents did not pay him as much attention as they did Kala. For nearly two years he'd desperately fought for acceptance, his anger and resentment towards Kala growing every day that she stole that chance away from him, turning him into a shadowy outcast. He let the necklace with the fang hanging from it drop to the ground. He kicked it aside as no means of exterior weaponry save for claw, fang, and mind were able to be used.

Then, Kala came to the horrible realization of what Saren's words meant. Despite how nice he'd been to the Jasper wolves, despite his hospitality and welcoming to them, he truly did take these rituals seriously. He wasn't going to skimp out on their purpose for anyone; he was no better than a Mad Wolf, no better than Garth's traitorous father! He was a wolf murderer! The Trials could be achieved by any wolf, that much was true, but only one was allowed to continue on to the mantle of Full Wolf afterward…which meant that Faolan…

She looked at the blue-grey furred wolf in horror, Faolan staring at her intently. Faolan had said he was a Full Wolf…and he had no siblings, nor were there any other Jagged Ice wolves in the pack that were his approximate age by moon. That meant that Faolan, sweet, gentle, caring, _loving_ Faolan…_Why, Faolan?_ Her mind moaned in despair. _Why would you do this? Why would you kill your friends and family?_ This pack was a lie; this life was a lie…_Faolan_ himself was just a big fucking _lie_!

These Trials weren't to prove one of being a Full Wolf, it was all a massive dominance battle; these psychotic wolves killed each other for the sole purpose of superiority and dominance! It all made a horrible, terrible sense now; many of the she-wolves had conceived twice since the spring, birthing two litters in the same year. The she-wolves were pup-making whores with the sole purpose of birthing enough pups to go through the Trials and make the pack invulnerable in strength! Kala could have possibly avoided this confrontation if she'd just let Firetail win the dominance fight!

All the times he'd been gone, he'd been secretly taking part in the Trials. How he did so she knew not, but he had and now he had proven to be another wolf that could take part in the final Trial. Faolan and every other wolf that had survived this far into the Trials had met this moment and now it was her time to battle Firetail. Saren had said only one wolf could come out of this alive, which meant that this wasn't going to be some petty fight between the cousins like they had in the past. No, this was serious, this was life or death. Kala had to kill Firetail or be killed by him. He had bloodlust in his eyes, hatred burning in his cold, dead heart. He was going to kill her; he was going to kill her if it was the last thing he did and no one, not Fenrir, not Lupus, not even the end of the world would stop him from killing Kala and reclaiming the honor he'd lost in the dominance battle. This was what he thought would make the perfect retribution, the thing that he knew would bring him back to the top and earn the pride, glory, respect, and acceptance of his family and pack.

This wasn't how he'd acquire it though; no, whoever fell in this duel of fates would become a martyr and shame the other for rest of his or her life. This was the price that they would pay if they did this. No, Kala couldn't do this; Firetail couldn't do this! There had to be some other way to become Full Wolf without confronting one another, there had to be! Humphrey tried to rush out to his daughter, but was beaten back and forced to the ground by Jagged Ice wolves. They apologized to him, but kept him pinned in place. They allowed him up again, but kept him still. The same was encountered when the rest of the Jasper wolves tried to step in and resolve the conflict peacefully, but the Jagged Ice wolves were hell-bent on their demonic traditions. This was not something that Kala could escape from; this was something she had to do, and Firetail was most definitely not going to let her back out of this. If she did, he'd only kill her when she was sleeping. This had to be settled here and now.

"Kala!" A small voice cried. Before any wolves could stop her, Kate scampered out into the inner circle. Firetail seethed when he saw the small she-pup. When Kala saw the pup, her heart lurched and she felt her eyes sting with tears. She refused to let them fall, though; she needed to be strong, she needed to comfort her little sister. Ryker and Luna tried to follow, but the Jagged Ice wolves were prepared for them and secured them. Kacey snarled at them when she saw them take hold of her pups. Kate looked around at the gather wolves, mystified as to what was going on. She turned her large, blue eyes to Kala. "What's going on, Kala? Are we playing a game?"

"No, Kate," she said, doing her best to keep her composure. She lowered herself to be eye level with the she-pup. "Kate, I might be going to sleep…for a very long time. If I don't, then Firetail will."

"Aw," Kate groaned in complaint. "But you're always sleeping!" Kala released a choked sob of a laugh.

"I do, I do," she agreed, a tear falling from her eye. Kate tilted her head in concern when she saw the bead of liquid roll down her face.

"What's wrong, Kala?" She asked.

"Kate, if I go to sleep in this clearing," she told the young she-pup, her voice cracking. "I'm not ever going to wake up again. If that happens, I need you to be a strong pup, okay? You have to look out for you brother and sister. You have to be a big she-wolf for Mom, Dad, and the rest of the pack, okay?"

"Kala," she said, her body quivering and her eyes looking watery. "I'm scared."

"Don't be, pup," she told her with a sad smile. "Just know I always love you!" She hugged her sister tightly and Kate began to cry into her fur. Kala let tears fall from her face as she held her sister. Winston padded to them and grabbed Kate lightly by the scruff, taking her away. He dipped his head to Kala in good luck. She nodded as Kate screamed to be returned to her sister. Kala gritted her fangs as the tears fell down her face. She glared back at Firetail, the wolf wearing a smug, disgusting smile on his face.

The clearing had gone silent as the two began to circle each other. Kala glared at him through red, teary eyes. He glared back, pulling back his lips to expose his salivated fangs. Her guard hairs rose and her claws unsheathed. Her ears flicked back and she barred her fangs. Firetail stopped and she did so as well. For a while, they stood there in silence. Suddenly, Firetail leapt at her with a vicious, feral snarl. He slammed into her side and Kala growled, batting at his chest with her hind paws. She did not, however, claw at him; if there was any possible way for the two to make it out of there with their lives, then she was going to take that alternative.

She threw him off, but he was unfazed, growling at her viciously as she leapt to her paws. She snarled at him and the two ran at each other. She quickly slid on her back and flew underneath him. She raked her claws down his chest and belly, drawing blood from thing cuts. He reared back and snarled. He battered her head with his paws until Kala thrashed him to the side, giving her breathing room. This was not met unmatched, however, for Firetail immediately lunged back and connected a fisted paw into her muzzle.

Kala felt fangs break in her mouth and she spat them out. They were the far rear fangs in the left corner of her lower jaw, so the wound would be nearly unnoticeable. Blood dripped from her mouth and rolled down her chin. She lashed out at him and scratched the sides of his face with her claws, drawing blood. He snarled and whipped his head forward, grabbing hold of her left rear leg. He yanked hard and she lost her balance, falling to the ground. He dug his fangs deep into the bone and she yelped in pain. She ranked her claws over his muzzle and drew more and more blood until he let go, blood falling from her leg profusely. She rolled to the right, dodging a deadly bite from Firetail. She forced herself to stand, ignoring the searing pain in her leg.

She met his next leap, the two standing on their hind paws and clawing at each other, fangs snapping wildly as they tried to tear the Life Blood out of the other. She fell to her back and Firetail dug his claws into her chest, ripping at her. She screamed in sheer agony as he did so and he began to tear at her chest. Humphrey howled and snarled, trying to reach his daughter and save her, but the Jagged Ice wolves held him back. There was nothing anyone could do for her now.

She desperately hooked out the claws in her right hind leg and tore at his groin. He screamed in pain and horror when he looked down and saw that she'd torn off his wolfhood completely. She dragged herself up, but could not stand, blood falling from her chest and splattering on the ground. She coughed, blood falling from her mouth. She felt sick, disgusted. She heard a cry of battle and was slammed forcefully to the ground, Firetail's fangs digging into her scruff. He slammed her head to the ground and she heard a loud, audible crack as her jaw connected to the ground. She spat out more blood and began to cry, tears falling from her eyes. Firetail kicked her to the ground and he roared at her viciously.

"You ruined my life!" He screamed. "Everyone fucking loves you but I'm the one that gets fucking shit on! Now it's my time! NOW I'M THE ALPHA!" Kala looked up and saw the horrified face of Kate, tears falling down her face. She looked next to her to see Ryker lying on the ground with paws over his eyes, unable to watch. Next to him was the very pup she named, Luna. Her eyes were wide with fear. Suddenly, something came over Kala. Those three pups, they were her siblings. They were her family. She was their elder sister, the one they looked up to for hope and guidance. If she died now, they would be lost. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen!

She snarled and aimed a hooked paw at Firetail. She dug her claws into his face…and he ripped out his right eye. He screamed in pain and fury, blood spurting heavily from the open, bloodied wound on the side of his face. She squashed the eyeball underneath her paw, the sickening juices coating the bloodstained ground. She punched him repeatedly in the face and knocked out his fangs. She threw him down and shoved the fangs down his throat so he choked on the dangerous, bloodied shards of broken bone. He coughed and sputtered and she held him down. She pried open his left eye. She took a claw and plunged it into the pupil. He screamed and his body convulsed as blood flew from the eye. She yanked it out and limped back from the blinded, bloodied disgrace of a wolf. He was not giving up, though. He ran at her with a hideous, sickening ferocity, blood pouring from the holes in his face. She leapt in the air, unsheathing her claws.

Just as Scourge had taught her, she twisted her body in midflight and raked the claws on his back until the hooked into the ribs within his pelt. She pulled herself upward and fixed her fangs around his neck. She bit down hard and shook his head, Firetail gasping desperately for air as blood and fang fragments flew from his mouth. Finally, she gave one last final jerk and there was a sickening snap. His body jerked abruptly, and then slackened in her grip. She let him go, the corpse falling to the ground, splashing in a pool of crimson blood. Kala looked down at him and she retched, emptying the contents of her stomach to the ground. She stumbled forward as the Jagged Ice wolves let the Jasper pack to go through. Kala fell to the ground and began to sob uncontrollably, crying out in sadness in pain. The wolves gathered around her, trying to comfort her, tears falling from their faces as they held the crying she-wolf. Kala looked through the hazy film of tears and saw Lily and Garth beside the body of Firetail.

Lily prodded him, Garth looking at her hollowly. They had saved the pup from the Great War and had adopted him as their own son. Lily tried to wake him up, but he would not rise. She screamed in agony and fell over his bloody body, crying for her lost son and wailing into the night.


	41. The Rise of the Marker - Part the First

Kala's chest burned and she remembered the deep cuts that Firetail had left on her when he'd torn into her chest. She looked down and examined the wounds through her tears; they would hurt for many more days no doubt, but she would live. The most serious of wounds was the bit on her leg, and even that had begun to stop bleeding. It felt numb now, but so did the rest of her body and mind. Her fur was coated in the blood of herself and her deceased cousin, and now she wanted nothing more than to die for what evils she had committed.

Looking back at Firetail, she saw Lily being pulled off gently by her mate. Garth's eyes bore a hollow, dull tone that she had never seen before. Despite the circumstances and their love for their niece, Firetail had been their son. He had been a prick of a fur ball at times and an ungrateful member of the Jasper survivors, but that didn't change the fact that he was their pup. Kala felt sick to her belly and heart; she'd murdered their pup, their only son, Kala's own cousin. Lily was barren and unable to birth any biological pups, and Kala had just taken away their only chance of the privilege of parenthood. His blood covered her body and would remain forever on her paws and in her mouth. She was a monster, a murderer, a Mad Wolf. What had she allowed herself to become? This wasn't how things should be! Kala should have let Firetail become the Alpha; all he'd wanted was acceptance and recognition in the pack and she was too selfish to so much as allow him that! She had stolen the attention and liking of his own parents from him and wouldn't even allow the poor pup to be an Alpha rather than herself.

She forced herself to her paws, shakily standing. They tried to make her sit back down, but Kala growled that she needed to be alone. She limped out of the Ĝarnaw, but Humphrey still walked beside her. He tried to get her to slow, noticing that she was beginning to bleed again and worried for her wellbeing, but Kala screamed at him to leave her alone. Humphrey's eyes widened and he flattened his ears, but he nodded solemnly and allowed his daughter to leave into the forest on her own.

Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt as though it would burst through her mutilated breast where Firetail's claws had dug so deep into her. She let tears fall from her face as she stumbled through the undergrowth, dragging her lame limb through the forest as it was no longer of any use to her, the pain rendering it immobile and worthless. She sobbed and cried the whole time, her breath coming out in short, ragged, bloody gasps as she cried more and more. She couldn't believe the atrocity that she'd committed; how could she do something this horrific?

Kala limped forward, doing her best to stay conscience as she stumbled about. Her senses were muddled and dull. The world was spinning around her and she collapsed heavily to the ground. She wanted unconsciousness to seize her, to siphon her away from this world of hurt and pain that she'd been so ruefully thrust into. She wanted the world of darkness and dream to flood her senses, to transport her away from the reality that she so desperately and so vainly wished to be rid of once and for all. Yet her pleas went out as woeful wails to the converted, for no one would offer her the salvation that she so desired. For the remainder of her life, she would bear the weight of Firetail's death upon her shoulders. She would forever remember that she was the wicked demon that had so cruelly punished him. First she had torn off his wolfhood, and then she tortured him with the indefinite eradication of his sight. She had lost herself to madness, to hatred, to bloodlust. She had, for an instant, ceased to exist as Kala, but as a horror that she could not fully comprehend.

Curling up in a tight ball, Kala sighed, closing her eyes and allowing her life to slip away. She wanted death, she desired it. There was no other punishment great enough to atone for her sins; this was the only way that she could offer retribution to her distraught aunt and uncle, the only possible solution. She cried for her father, for her mother, for her young siblings, for the rest of her pack. She loved them so, yet she knew that what she'd done was an unforgivable crime that damned her life to the darkest pits of hell.

She opened her eyes and saw the glowing apparition of her mother standing before her. There was a sad smile on her face as she looked down at Kala. She lifted herself painfully to her paws, limping towards her mother. The beautiful tawny she-wolf looked her daughter up and down, inspecting her wounds. She tilted her head as tears began to fall from her eyes, landing on Kala's wounds. To her astonishment, the flesh, fibers, tendons, and fur regrew rapidly, regenerating with incredible speed right before her eyes. Kate's tears had the power to heal the injuries and fatal wounds that Kala had sustained.

Kate explained to her then that she would appear to still have the wounds, but they would be easily cleaned and well. Only her physical appearance would say that she was injured, when in reality, she was now fully healed. She thanked her mother graciously and Kate smiled, flicking her tail and beckoning her daughter to follow her. They padded back to the Ĝarnaw and Kala looked about to see that time seemed to have frozen. Wolves walking, talking, playing, and grieving were frozen in place, unmoving as though petrified by the horrible gaze of a Basilisk.

They padded back to the center where Firetail's body still lay. Lily cried on the ground several meters away, Garth lying beside her, holding her and crying with her. Kate looked at them in sympathy and then looked coldly at Firetail. He lied on the ground in a pool of his own blood. His empty, bloodied eye sockets staring ahead of the Ĝarnaw blankly. Several taillengths away lay his only-mostly-intact eye. Kate whisked Kala away from the scene and into the Jagged Ice Mountain. When they reached the entrance to the caves she and Faolan had traveled through, the Dark Wolf, Sam, appeared. The two led Kala through the mountain and into the final chamber where the object of divinity rested on its dark pedestal. It had risen significantly in the moon that had passed since Kala had last been in its presence. The object was now nearly out of the mountain; all it needed was another few days and then the object would be visible to all, able to share its divine light and glory over the world and bring peace and prosperity to all of wolf kind.

Sam, however, shook his head at her. Kala looked at him curiously and they transmitted a word into her mind, a name, or perhaps it was a phrase. Whatever it was, it was what the object of divinity was truly called, what it was truly meant for. The wolves of the Jagged Ice pack believed that a being known as the Great Wolf had banished the first object of divinity to the ocean millennia prior. Nay, it was humanity. They had first come into contact with the original black object of divinity and discovered what it was truly for, what it truly did, and they cast it away to the depths of which it had originated to save all life in the world from its horrible effects.

The object of divinity was called the Marker. It was not something made by any being of their world but of another, distant world far out amongst the stars, a world that would remain untouched for several more centuries until humanity would expand across the stars and find the ice world. The Marker was a horrible object that caused dementia, insanity, paranoia, and created a horrible, twisted creature by reanimating the dead. The creatures were called Necromorphs, and humanity had rid the world of the Black Marker to prevent another Necromorph outbreak from occurring.

Over the centuries, the world recovered from the first onslaught of Necromorphs and tried to regain the sanity that was caused by the mass dementia. Memories faded and stories were warped and twisted. In the mass of distraught species, a wolf named Tamriel rose from the ashes and united wolf kind under the illusion that their gods were Fenrir and Fenrisúlfur. He was known as the first Shaman of the wolves. He and several others that were cursed with the longevity of their ancient lives became the Shamans, destined to live for approximately seven hundred years unless killed by the forces of a Necromorph. One of the Shamans was now residing in the Jagged Ice pack, the others now all dead. They had been misled to believe that the Marker was divine, that it would save wolf kind, and that a being known as the Great Wolf would threaten their transcendence to prosperity again. There was no original Great Wolf; true, there was a current legend, but not an old legend. That was writing misinterpreted. So many of the scriptures of the Ancients had been left to ruin and be read misinterpreted by many, when in truth many of the sayings were not legends or prophecies, but warnings and stories of the downfall of the Dire Wolves. They had been extinguished by the Markers, and they did not wish the same fate to befall their descendants. The Great Wolf was a prophesied being that they hoped would be able to stop the Red Markers from rising once again to bring forth the rebirth of the Black Marker. It was the last, final hope for life on earth.

Kala was snapped out of the vision and she was back in the forest, lying on the ground. Her head throbbed and she looked to see that she'd hit her head on a rock. She shook her head; she must have been hallucinating after she passed out and hit her head. She looked ahead and heard something. Her eyes darted to the right and she saw the blue-grey furred wolf staring at her. She growled at him and stalked off into the forest. As her mother had promised, she was fully healed despite her physical appearance. Kala wished that her mother could have made Faolan leave her alone, however, as he refused to stop following her through the forest.

Several times she snapped, snarled, bit, or clawed at him, but nothing she did seemed to faze him. No matter where she went, Faolan would follow with incessant persistence, refusing to leave her alone. Kala despised the disgraceful excuse of a wolf. She felt ashamed that she had ever felt herself begin to fall for him. How could she be so stupid to begin falling in love with a wolf that she hardly knew? It was despicable! No, he had to leave and she had to make it clear to him that he was to never come near her again.

Faolan, it seemed, was just as stubborn as Kala in matters such as this, however, and accepted the abuse she threw at him. She screamed at him and tried to run, but Faolan would always be by her side, trying to get her to talk. Kala didn't want to talk, however; she only wanted to escape the pain and hurt of her actions, to be free of all of the horrid things that had transpired, but Faolan would not allow her to do so. It was something she wished she could admire about him, but only found to be incredibly annoying. Why was he even following her in the first place? She'd broken his heart; that wasn't how things were supposed to work!

Despite he healing process of her injuries, the blistering pain and soreness that ensued from the injuries was still present, and the effects were just as bad. She collapsed into the ground, groaning in pain as she struggled in vain to rise back up. Faolan rushed to her side and helped her back up, allowing her to use him as a means of stability support.

"You have to rest," he told her pointedly. "You're just going to get yourself hurt again; besides, you should really let someone look at that bite on your leg." She growled and shoved him away, stalking forward painfully towards the river. When she reached the bank, she lighted herself down and began to the blood away. On the surface were blistering wounds, some of which would turn into permanent scars. The rest, however, would heal with time and only bring back the memory of what happened that night. The pain fatal wounds themselves were internally void of existence; the only reason they still appeared on the surface was to prevent anyone from asking questions as to how she'd managed to heal such terrible wounds in a matter of minutes.

Faolan sat down and waited, hoping that when she'd finished getting the blood off of her that she'd be open to talking. _Tough luck,_ she thought sourly. _Go talk to another one of your murderous friends. _The blood had not been given much time to dry and curst over, so for the most part, it was quite easy to wash off. The scent, however, still remained in Kala's fur and the faint trace of death would linger around her for possibly several more days. She would be seen as the murderer of her cousin by anyone that came with in scenting range of her.

The blood had left the white and tawny parts of her fur tinged a light red, but that would eventually wash off with due given time. Kala rose to her paws to see Faolan's green eyes looking at her again. She seethed; why couldn't he just leave?

"Can we talk?" He asked calmly.

"Go fuck yourself," she spat. He winced from the force of her words but did not leave.

"I'll have to reject that suggestion," he said. "You did well, Kala."

"Did well? _DID WELL?_" She roared. "When I said I wanted to take part of the Trials I'd agreed to completing physically and mentally difficult challenges. Never once did I agree to become a murderer of my own kin!"

"You did not murder him," he said, tilting his head. "If you did not allow him to transcend, then he would force you to instead." She was mortified that he talked so lightly about death, calling it nothing more than simple 'transcendence.'

"You murdered, too!" She yelled. "If you went through the Trials, then that means you killed another wolf as well!"

"Actually," he corrected. "There were nine of us. Five killed each other off at the beginning while I finished off the weaker ones. I was left unscathed. I envy you; to actually go head-to-head with a versatile opponent is a stupendous honor."

"What's wrong with you?" She exclaimed, exasperated. Couldn't he understand how wrong this was? No, he couldn't; he had been born into believing that this was natural. How could he ever understand the corrupt darkness of the Trials? He was born into the, lived them, and practically worshipped them.

The pack probably thought so naturally of the Trials that they didn't even know what murder really was. The Jasper wolves, however, could see through the lies and corrupted deceit of the Trials; they were not meant for wolves to take part of, and they should have never been created. The horrors that she'd seen were beyond her wildest nightmares, and now she had been forced to murder her cousin. She was a monster, a cold blooded monster! How could she ever do that! She glared at Faolan.

"Your she-wolves are whores," she rasped gauntly. "They willingly give up their bodies for the sole purpose birthing enough pups to take up the Trials. That was what you wanted me for, wasn't it? You wanted me as nothing more than a slave like the rest of the she-wolves, not as a mate."

"No," he growled, padding up to her. He looked her in the eyes and she saw the truth within them. "You're different from the other she-wolves, Kala; I don't want you for your body or to parade about and show off like you're some kind of a trophy. I love you, Kala; you're kind, your funny, and loving, caring, and everything about you is just…you're just so incredible! I can't think of how to express my love for you, Kala; words just aren't enough."

Kala averted her eyes and knew that she was in love with the blue-grey furred wolf as well. She knew that he spoke the truth when he told her he didn't want her as a trophy or a whore like the other wolves of the demonic Jagged Ice pack. It appeared that he was the only one that was close to being truly sane in the pack. He nuzzled her softly and affectionately and Kala knew she wanted to be with him.

"If you love me," she whispered to him softly. "Then you'll only mate with me on my terms. You will stay with me through the worst and best of times and you'll care for me and keep me safe. Will you do that?"

"Yes," he replied confidently. "I will."

"Then if what you say is true about not being able to express your love through words," she said, choosing her words carefully. "Then prove it through actions and make love to me." His eyes widened and Kala licked his face with a smile. She slowly lied on the ground and rolled over, presenting herself to him.

Faolan walked over her and nuzzled her cheek. He began to lick her fur traveling downward towards her she-wolfhood. He lowered himself to enter her, their bodies pressed against one another. Suddenly, Faolan was thrown off when something crashed into him. Kala's eyes shot open and she looked up to see her father standing between them, snarling at Faolan. She scrambled to her paws to try and explain to Humphrey, but he wouldn't listen.

"Get back to the cave," he growled at her.

"Dad, wait-!" She protested.

"GET BACK TO THE CAVE NOW!" He roared. She looked at her father and Faolan, then, with tears in her eyes, she bolted away. Humphrey glared at Faolan. His fur was bristling, his claws unsheathed and his fangs were barred at the young wolf. Faolan averted her faze, looking ashamed. Humphrey walked up to him and growled. The blue-grey wolf looked up at Humphrey, respectfully meeting his eyes.

"How old are you, Faolan?" He asked.

"Three years, one month, and nineteen days, sir," Faolan replied diligently.

"Do you realize that my daughter is still several moons away from reaching her second year?" Faolan's eyes widened with surprise when Humphrey said this. Faolan shook his head.

"She told me that she was two years and eight months right now," he replied. Evidently Kala had lied to Faolan in an attempt to be with him. This was a very rash and immature decision on her part, something that Humphrey quite blatantly frowned upon. "I can't believe she lied to me," Faolan murmured. Humphrey returned his attention to the blue-grey wolf with narrow eyes.

"I don't want to see my daughter with you again," he growled. "You think you know what love is and you have poisoned her mind into thinking that she knows what it is as well. You have a lustful infatuation with her, nothing more."

With that, Humphrey stalked off back to the cave, leaving Faolan behind. As he stalked back to the cave angrily, his Spirit Guide appeared walking beside him. Humphrey glared at Sam and continued walking, intent on giving Kala a stern lecture.

_You must leave these lands forever,_ Young Grey, Sam said.

"My thoughts exactly," Humphrey growled. "My daughter is being corrupted and we've lost five wolves in less than half a year. We'll be leaving at dawn."

_Dawn is not soon enough,_ Young Grey, Sam said, panic in his telepathic voice. Humphrey looked at Sam quizzically. _You must leave immediately while you still can! Find the Pack of the Winter Mountains before you are all killed!_

"What the fuck are you talking about, Sam?" Humphrey growled. "I haven't seen any sign of humans except for the one I killed."

_Humans are in danger as well, Young Grey; these creatures will arise on this night of the Summer Solstice: a night with no moon!_

"Just like the attack on Jasper," Humphrey whispered. "What is it with moonless nights? Why do bad things always happen on them?"

_They are the darkest of nights, the time when demons are at their most powerful,_ Sam replied. _Young Grey, do you know what the Marker is?_

"No," Humphrey replied.

_Take heart that you don't; just leave or you'll discover the insanity of Saren._

"What more insanity could we be met with aside from a murder contest?" There was a long, vicious howl in the air. They looked back to see that it had come from the Ĝarnaw. Humphrey shot a panicked glance at Sam.

_ It has begun._

**A/N: Sorry for not updating this story for a couple days and missing on the update yesterday for Rexie and I's story. I've been dealing with a lot of crap in my life, including being beat by my dad. Last night it went too far and I called my uncle. I packed up my stuff and now me, my brother, and my sister are living with him until everything's sorted out and my uncle moves us back to our town under his custody. I can only hope that life will be better now. Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, LilyandMe, imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, The-crazy-lone-wolf77, the dark shadow, and MoonTrekerAF for reviewing my last chapter. And for those who 'don't get' the story I'm doing with Rexie, it's just a fun thing for me and my girlfriend to do together. Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	42. The Rise of the Marker - Part the Second

Saren walked up the stone pedestal to watch the glory and divinity of the Marker. The crimson symbols illuminated, casting an eerie red glow throughout the stone chamber. Saren's Spirit Markings radiated with the color the Marker gave off. His eyes closed slowly and he exhaled. When he reopened them, they had turned a deep, cavernous black. He could see the bat-winged monstrosity residing within the Marker, a creature known as the necromancer. It was the divine creator of the Holy Necromorphs, the creatures that would allow the wolves of the earth to transcend to the next stage of life, to become the dominant species of the world.

Saren beckoned with his tail to two figures behind him. Inside of the chamber walked Icerin. He dragged with him-against her will-his mate and Humphrey's sister, Narami. She was badly beaten and was crying. Icerin ruthlessly shoved her to the ground, Saren glaring down at her with his black eyes. Narami wept as the two wolves stared at her intently. Saren looked up at Icerin and nodded. He pinned his mate down, but she needed no pinning; she was too badly hurt already. After realizing this, Saren dismissed Icerin from her. The prophecies specified the need for a pup to be made and offered to the necromancer.

Narami's incessant begging became something of a nuisance for Saren, so he slammed her head down and dug his claws behind her right ear. With a vicious, horrible jerk, he tore her ear from her head. She released a bloodcurdling scream that echoed and reverberated through the chamber as blood poured from where her ear formerly was. Ignoring her screams of agony, Saren mounted her and began to forcefully mate with the she-wolf. There would be no condolences given to Narami, for she knew that this was the last time she'd ever see anything. She knew the prophecies well enough, and she knew that the she-wolf unlucky enough to be offered as sacrifice to the gods would never come out again. She whispered a silent apology to her brother, wishing she had had the chance to say goodbye to him one last time, to try and comfort him after the pain of losing a pack mate earlier that night. Through Saren's thrusting, she looked up to the Marker, tears blurring her vision. Behind it, she could see the pale, ghost of an outline that was the unmistakable image of a No Moon. This was the night that the Marker would rise and spread its divine power throughout the world…or so they'd been told. Her own Leader Wolf was raping her, her mate just watching several meters away as though it was perfectly natural. No longer did she know if the Marker would truly spread divinity. No longer did she believe in the Legend of the Grey or the holy wolf gods; how could she when they were allowing such atrocities to be committed? No god would be so cruel to condemn one of its subjects to such abuse, and in her final moments, she speculated as to the actual existence of the gods.

Finally, Saren climaxed within her. She gritted her fangs and released a choked sob of a gasp, shuddering. Once they became untied, Saren dismounted and drew his paw through the blood pouring down the side of her face. He traced it through her Spirit Markings, painting them red. Then, he walked to the Marker and placed the bloodied paw on its surface. She shot a pleading glance to her mate, but he refused to meet her gaze. His icy glare was focused on Saren, not caring for her at all. She thought she'd loved him, but evidently the _Harko_ did not share her feelings. She was only being used for Saren's dark rituals with the Marker. He began to whisper and chant in the language of the Ancients, the symbols on the Marker's surface glowing with increased radiance. The rock trembled beneath them and began to slowly rise through the gap in the top of the mountain. She tried to force herself upward, but Icerin padded over and pinned her down, keeping her in place while Saren continued. She had been betrayed, taken advantage of, and now knew with utmost certainty that she would die on this night.

There was a hideous, feral shriek that emanated from within the Marker. It was not of any creature of this world, or at least, not of one that should exist on it. The Marker's surface rippled and reformed, a slimy, fleshy thing falling from the back before the Marker reformed to its original structure. Saren and Icerin backed away from Narami and the Marker, whispering in the Ancients' tongue. She shakily looked upward and saw a large creature crawling across the stone. It resembled a bat-winged creature with an insect-like torso. It possessed no eyes, only a gaping maw of fangs and three large pincers with suction-tube like appendages attached to them. It crawled forward on large claws on the tips of the membranous wings, a long appendage stretching from its forehead-if it could be called a forehead, of course.

It spotted her, its slit-like nostrils flaring. It hissed and crawled quickly towards Narami. In a panic, she scrambled to her paws and ran at the Leader Wolf and Harko, but they were gone, abandoning her in the mountain. She desperately sought the place that they'd brought her up, but could not find it. The rising stone pedestal she stood upon had removed the path out of the cave, and she would not be able to escape until it reached the top of the mountain. At the rate the rising was at, she wouldn't escape until it was too late. She sprinted to the other side of the chamber and backed against a nook in the wall, staring in horror at the horrible monster that Saren had falsely believed was a necromancer. No, this was no necromancer, but something far more horrible, but still very much a demon.

She burst into tears as it leapt into the air and soared to her. It pinned her to the ground and sank its mouth into her chest. She screamed in pain as it tore her flesh away and dug into her body, blood spurting heavily from her. The three pincers stabbed into her skull and forced more blood to fly outward. Finally, the suction appendage reared back and stabbed into her forehead. Her body shook and convulsed, blood flying from her mouth in sticky crimson clots. Still, she would not die. The pain was immense, unbearable, yet she was forced to stay awake through it as the appendage sifted through her brain and infected her with the virus that would transform her into a necromorph. She looked down and saw her belly ripple and deform. She felt something within her kicking at her belly. No, that couldn't be; it took two moons for a pup to form, there wasn't any possible way she could be already giving birth. Suddenly, two slimy, bloodied, deformed paws of a creature burst through her belly. She tried to scream in pain, but only succeeded in throwing up more and more blood. A face broke through her womb and screeched. It was a horrifically deformed, near-unrecognizable version of a wolf pup.

Narami felt her skin prickle and she looked in horror to see her flesh and fur begin to shed and fall off of her in bloodied chunks and pieces. The necromorph infector flew away and latched itself to the back of the Marker. Narami shuddered and felt herself begin to transform into the most horrific, terrifying creature the world had ever seen. This was not evolution like Saren had told them; this was the destruction of a species, the destruction of life to be reanimated into some kind of horrible new form of reanimated death. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head. The last thing she thought was of her brother, and then she slipped into the darkness…and she became a necromorph.

**Humphrey**

As soon as he returned to the Ĝarnaw, several Jagged Ice wolves slammed Humphrey to the ground. He growled and tried to force himself back up, but found that they would not allow him that luxury, keeping him down. They bound his muzzle with a thick, green substance that they called 'vines.' They brought him up and forced him to the center of the Ĝarnaw where the rest of the Jasper wolves were being rounded up to. Humphrey was kicked forward and landed amongst his pack, slamming heavily to the ground. He groaned and Kala quickly cut the vines from his muzzle. He shook his head vigorously and rose to his paws, looking about at his wolves.

The pups huddled closely to Kacey, their eyes wide and filled with terror. The Jagged Ice wolves glared heavily at them. Suddenly, Faolan was thrown in with them, his legs and muzzle bound by vines. Kala gasped and ran up to him without a heartbeat's hesitation. Humphrey glowered at her actions but did not force her away from him as she untied him, setting him free. The two padded back with the group, but the Jasper wolves snarled at Faolan when he tried to enter with them. Faolan looked at them incredulously and Kala, in annoyance, stood beside him until they warily allowed Faolan to advance into their ranks beside them. Humphrey looked up to see Saren and Icerin pad to the front of Saren's den, the Shaman walking up to them as well. Humphrey seethed when he saw them.

"What's the meaning of this, Saren?" Humphrey demanded. Saren glared at them with cold, unforgiving eyes.

"We believed that you were the Grey that had come to save us from a world of darkness," he said. "Evidently, this was a prophecy misread. It is now clear to me. You are the evil Great Wolf that has come to destroy the Marker, our gateway to the divine transcendence and evolution to world dominance for our species!"

The wolves of the Jagged Ice pack gasped in horror and dismay, some shouting horrific things at them, threatening with death or worse. The Jasper wolves looked about, incredulous and confused as to what in the name of Lupus they were talking about. What insanity possessed Saren to make such accusations, especially when they didn't make sense? Kala looked at Humphrey, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. There was something in Kala's eyes that said she knew something.

"As a traitor to our species," Saren proclaimed. "As well as an attempted destroyer of everything we stand for, you are all to be executed!" The Jasper wolves huddled together in fear, Humphrey standing in front of them in stubborn defiance.

"You have no right to do make such claims when we have committed no wrongdoings," Humphrey growled. "Just let us go; we were planning on leaving anyway."

"No, you may not leave, not now," Saren growled. "You will be executed by one who has already transcended into the next stage of the evolutionary cycle of life: your sister, Narami." Humphrey's eyes widened and he looked at the Leader Wolf with a dark glare.

"What have you done with her?" Humphrey snarled.

"We have done nothing," Saren replied with an innocent smirk on his face. "The necromancer has simply helped her to the next stage of life, to become the first necromorph of our species!" He looked to the peak of the Jagged Ice Mountain and the rest of the wolves followed his gaze to see a massive stone obstruction rise from the depths of the mountain, surrounded by the massive ice claws. A ear-splitting shriek emitted from the object and it glowed with a deep crimson radiance.

The color of the world around them bent and distorted until they saw the world in black and white, the only color being siphoned into the crimson-glowing object. Suddenly, a pulse released and a loud sonic boom not dissimilar from the noise of the humans' Black Weapon echoed throughout the world, a wave of energy releasing from the object and spreading across the mountains and beyond. The world turned to a deep red hue, color returning only to be darkened by the crimson sky.

Demon spirits swarmed around them, whispering their horrible promises and threats to them and haunting their being. From behind the Marker walked Narami; that is, what was formerly Narami. She had been transformed into a beastly monstrosity, a pup hanging from her belly where it had torn through her flesh and muscle. She was furless and fleshless, braw muscle tissue and dried blood coating her body. Her eyes were whit orbs on her face and two long appendages tore from her shoulders, long, claw-like blades protruding from the ends of the appendages. Her claws and fangs had grown in length. What was formerly Narami, Humphrey's long-lost sister, was not gone; she was now a necromorph, the real Narami was now dead.

It howled into the night and leapt down from the mountain, attacking the crowds of horrified wolves. Even the Jagged Ice pack was terrified by the horrible sight they beheld. Narami attacked one of the wolves, tearing its body to pieces and ripping it apart limb by individual limb. One of the wolves tried to ram into her and get her away from the poor, suffering wolf, but she attacked and killed him as well. The bat-winged necromorph creature soared down and attacked the bloodied corpse of the first wolf and within seconds, it became another necromorph like Narami.

In pure terror, the wolves panicked and began to run for their lives, more and more necromorphs being rapidly created from the death of each wolf. Each of the Jasper wolves took a pup in their jaws and sprinted to the trees, hoping to lose the necromorphs in the forest. When they reached the Spirit Barrier, however, the Night Watchers arrived, watching just beyond it. They were trapped with no escape; necromorphs and Night Watchers were on either end, both with the intention to kill them.

Rushing back to the Ĝarnaw, the wolves encountered the Jagged Ice pack trying to fight the necromorphs. The pups screamed in fright when they saw the horrible event. There was a loud howl and Humphrey saw Icerin, Saren, and the Shaman scaling the slope of the Jagged Ice Mountain towards the Marker. The 'necromancer' attacked the Shaman, and within moments, it had turned into a necromorph. Icerin whirled around and attacked the Shaman necromorph and beat it back off of the mountain, the hideous abomination of a creature crashing down below. In the process, however, Icerin's pelt had been cleaved by one of the large blades on the necromorph's appendages.

Saren looked down at him with cold, unforgiving eyes. Without the barest hesitation, he shoved Icerin down into a group of necromorphs below, the creatures tearing him apart in seconds. Saren continued to the mountain's summit, the Jasper wolves unable to figure out what to do. Humphrey yowled over the fighting for them to follow him, but Kala did not follow, for she heard the familiar calling howl of Faolan. She dashed over to him, Humphrey calling her back. The two ran through the battle and towards the Jagged Ice Mountain. Humphrey swore and the Jasper wolves raced after them, narrowly dodging the necromorphs and straggler Jagged Ice wolves.

Kala and Faolan raced around the mountain towards the back where a rock crevice was located, the two darting inside. Humphrey ordered everyone to follow them in, but three necromorphs had chased them along. Salty and Sweets had taken the rear of the group and the necromorphs were hot on their tails. One of them grabbed Sweets' tail and pulled her away, plunging its blades into her back. She screamed in agony and Salty looked back at her.

Humphrey pinned him down before he had the chance to make a futile rescue attempt on her; she was already gone. The necromorphs piled on top of her, tearing her apart and eating the bloody corpse savagely. Salty wept as Humphrey pulled him into the mountain after everyone else. Scourge waited on the way for them, Ryker hanging from his jaws, the small pup weeping miserably. They traveled through the darkened maze of tunnels until they had arrived within a large, cavernous chamber. Salty collapsed, crying aloud and sobbing for the mate that he'd lost to the paws of the necromorphs.

He tried to comfort his friend, but nothing Humphrey said could consolidate him for the loss of Sweets. Garth and Lily padded up to him, comforting him as best as they could. Humphrey glared at his daughter and the damned wolf she'd chased after. He stalked over to them and growled at Kala. She looked at him, shocked.

"Thanks to your little escapade with this worthless scrap of fur," he snarled. "Sweets was killed." Kala's eyes widened and she let tears fall from her eyes in mournful loss of the respected and well-liked she-wolf. He glared at Faolan. "How do we get out of your territory without those things killing us?"

"There is no way," Faolan said gauntly. "When the Marker's claws reach to the sky fully, Saren will activate its power and the other Markers will be released across the world. Nowhere is safe anymore, not unless we stop Saren."

"How do you propose we do that?" Humphrey demanded. Faolan turned and placed a paw on the stone, murmuring in the language of the Ancients, reading the inscriptions on the walls. Finally, he pressed a paw to one of the symbols and the stone rippled and deformed, revealing a type of shiny, metallic objects within. Faolan pressed his forepaws to the metal and they began to form around his legs and parts of his torso, as well as creating a half-mask over his face. Metal claws protruded from his paws.

It was a deadly armor that would shape around them and allow them to do what must be done. The wolves-aside from the pups-did as Faolan had and donned the battle armor, Humphrey looking out over his pack, knowing well that this could be the last time he ever saw them. They were determined to stop Saren, however, and destroy the Marker. If Humphrey truly was what Saren called the 'Great Wolf' that would destroy the Marker, then it was up to them to rid the world of the horrible thing. He nodded to them…and they prepared to show the necromorphs a proper greeting from the wolves of the darkness.

**A/N: Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, MoonTrekerAF, The-crazy-lone-wolf77, LilyandMe, Alexander, imjustlikehumphrey, the117, and the dark shadow for reviewing my last chapter! There's only two left of this story! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	43. Wolves of the Darkness

Kacey had reluctantly stayed behind with Winston, Garth, and Lily to protect the pups. Kala-against Humphrey's better judgment-accompanied the battle group to join the fight against the necromorphs. Faolan led them through the series of tunnels and caves and out of the mountain. Salty's eyes watered when he looked to see that the necromorphs had left nothing but scraps and broken bone fragments littered amongst blood stained rock. Humphrey looked back at his friend and asked him if he'd be alright. Salty nodded solemnly and his eyes hardened and he bore his fangs, ready to reap vengeance upon the necromorphs for tearing away the love of his life from him.

Humphrey was worried about his friend; his anger could very well mean overconfidence in battle and prove to be his downfall. His anger could, however, be used to his advantage and give needed ferocity in battle that would allow him to perform to the best of his abilities. Humphrey was determined to ensure that no more wolves died on this dark night, and he would attempt to destroy the Marker and stop Saren to the very best of his abilities. If he was the Great Wolf or the Grey, it was his job to destroy the Marker and save wolf kind. If he could do either one and give those of his pack that had survived just one more day to survive, he would do it. It was his duty as Leader Wolf to do what had to be done, and he intended on starting with it now.

The battle armor that they had acquired was quite remarkable. As far as they could tell, it didn't seem like it was penetrable, or at least could take a very good beating. It was quite lightweight and easy to maneuver in, the perfect type of protection from the necromorphs. The metallic battle claws they wore were deadly sharp, able to leave clean-cut gouges in the rock where they stepped. They circled the mountain and Humphrey looked up to see Saren scaling the mountain, nearing its peak. He walked calmly upward, able to be caught up to quickly. Humphrey turned to Scourge, his friend nodding to him curtly. He was willing to go through hell and back with Humphrey; they had both seen the destruction of the wolves they cared about, and they had become close friends since their journey to the Dark Heart of Jasper. He'd be there to help take down Saren, no doubt.

Looking back over the mountain, they saw that there were still at least nineteen wolves still fighting against the necromorphs. They swarmed around them, nearly one hundred of the monstrosities. The wolves were without battle armor, but still the held off the necromorphs. The wolves dashed forward and attacked the necromorphs, but did not dare to sink their fangs into them for fear that the virus would infect them in some way. As soon as the monsters saw them, they turned and began to fight the Jasper wolves as well, a large-scale battle ensuing across the expanse of the Ĝarnaw. Blood spurted and limbs flew about, screams of pain emitting from the living and shrieks of anger and bloodlust from the dead.

As Humphrey fought, he kept careful watch over Kala. Every time that a necromorph came near her, he'd leap at it and drive it away, doing his best to protect his daughter no matter the cost. If she died…Humphrey couldn't even bring himself to a logical conclusion as to what would happen if she died. He just knew that he couldn't allow that to happen and with the determination to keep her alive came the will to fight harder than ever before. Faolan, too, was fighting his hardest to protect Kala and Kala doing likewise for him.

The fought hard and were eventually forced all about the Ĝarnaw, spread thin amongst the countless necromorphs. With each that they killed, more came to take their place. Humphrey was incredulous as to where they were coming from when he looked to the sky and saw more of the infectors soaring above, infecting more animals on the ground. From closer examination, he recognized the corpses of the Night Watchers that had been turned into necromorphs as well.

The Shaman's barriers had failed, and now the enemies that the Jagged Ice pack had tried so hard to keep out had broken through the safeguard walls and were beginning to overwhelm the wolves with a bloody ferocity. Humphrey howled to Kala and Scourge to follow him up the slope towards Saren. Kala, however, refused to leave Faolan's side. Humphrey was furious that she refused to follow orders when they were given, but could not dissuade her from helping the blue-grey furred wolf that she had most obviously fallen in love with. Scourge ran into the crowd and pushed Kala away from him. He told her to follow Humphrey, promising to help Faolan in her absence. She nodded and reluctantly followed her father up the slope as they scrambled after Saren.

The rock surface of the mountain was precariously steep and the rocks did not give enough traction on their paw pads and they were constantly slipping and scrambling, trying to catch up to Saren before he had a chance to activate the Marker. Kala slipped and Humphrey helped her up, but something was pulling her down. Kala looked down and screamed in horror: a necromorph was clinging to her leg. She kicked at its face but it held fast, trying to bite her. Humphrey dragged her up, the necromorph coming with her. Before they could react, the necromorph attacked Humphrey. It lashed out at him, trying to impale him with the claw-blades. He narrowly dodged the hits by a hair's breadth, the blades smashing against the rock. Kala leapt atop the necromorph and dug her battle claws into its shoulder blade, ripping out its right foreleg. She did the same with the left and then grabbed one of the blades. In a swift motion, she severed the head of the necromorph and discarded the limbs, bloody mess to the base of the mountain.

Humphrey pulled himself upward and looked down to see Scourge racing after them while Faolan and Salty fought with two more Jagged Ice wolves below. He looked back at his daughter admirably and smiled at her, Kala smiling back. It was in that moment that time seemed to stop; Humphrey finally realized that Kala was not the small she-pup he'd kept watchful eye over since her birth; she was a full grown, strong, courageous, beautiful she-wolf and a proud asset to the Jasper Park wolf pack. She bore so much resemblance to her mother that she could very well pass to be her aside from her silver and tawny-flecked fur. Whenever Humphrey looked into Kala's eyes, he saw Kate, and knew that she would have been proud of Kala.

In that moment, time stopped. And in that moment, Kala was torn away from him. An icicle flew through her flank, Kala lurching forward. Blood dripped from her mouth and ran down her fur, the icicle buried into her. Humphrey looked to see Saren glaring at them with a smirk on his face; he'd thrown the icicle, and he had just murdered Humphrey's daughter. He had torn her life away from him with such ruthless prowess, and now…now she looked up at Humphrey in pure sorrow. Humphrey felt his eyes sting as he looked at his daughter and she opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, blood spitting out. Her amber eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground down the mountain. A scream broke through Humphrey's lips as he saw his daughter's fate.

She smashed against the rocks as she fell and came to a lurching stop below, her body completely still and lifeless. Humphrey felt his heart shatter and die with his daughter, tears falling heavily from his eyes. Scourge rushed to Kala's side and he yelled at Humphrey to continue after Saren, to finish the mission and stop him from activating the Marker. Humphrey was torn, unable to move. Scourge angrily rushed up to him.

"I'll stay with them and hold off the necromorphs!" Scourge snarled. "You need to get up there and stop Saren from using the Marker or we're going to be living in one really fucked up world!"

"She's all I had left," Humphrey sobbed. Scourge furiously took him by the scruff and shook him from his daunting daze.

"You have a mate and three pups that need you and the rest of your pack as well!" Scourge yelled. "And if you don't finish this right now, they'll be without a father and living in fear of death by the paws of these hell-spawn things! NOW GO!" Humphrey nodded and, through his blurred, teary-eyed vision, took one last look at his beloved daughter, her broken, lightly bleeding body below. He stole away from himself and glared at Saren. He wanted revenge, and he would have it now.

"SAREN!" Humphrey howled and ran after him with increased vigor and ferocity.

He ran up the side of the mountain, chasing after the evil wolf. The sounds of battle began to fade as he neared the peak where the Marker rested. He scrambled up the side and immediately was struck with an icicle. Humphrey fell to the rocky surface, groaning in pain. He looked to see the icicle buried in his shoulder, his blood painting the clear ice. He looked up to see Saren-but he was changed. Half of his face had been torn off, revealing muscle tissue and blood-crusted flesh underneath. He glared at Humphrey with bloodshot eyes and snarled at him.

"You will not halt or glorious transcendence to the divine beyond!" He cried. Saren turned and placed his paws on the surface of the Marker. A loud sonic boom sounded and a red shockwave flew from its surface, encompassing the surface of the planet, beginning its final stages of awakening the other Markers to raise the Black Marker from the depths of the sea and turn all life in the world into the twisted, zombified necromorph monstrosities.

Humphrey tore the icicle from his shoulder, blood falling down his leg. He limped over to Saren and gripped the icicle tightly. He reared back and jerked his head so the icicle impaled his back. Saren lurched forward and collapsed, coughing blood and glaring hatefully at Humphrey.

"That's for my daughter you ugly mother fucker," Humphrey spat. He kicked Saren away and turned to the Marker. Standing beside it was Kate, her shimmering apparition staring at Humphrey. He looked up at the Marker and then back to her. "What do I do?" He asked her, lost. She padded up to him and touched her nose to his. He closed his eyes.

_ He reopened them to see himself in a solitary world of white. Snow fell around him and blanketed the world. He was still standing on the mountain, the Marker still surrounded by the four ice claws, but there were no necromorphs, no wolves, and the only blood that could be seen was Humphrey's own. He touched his bleeding shoulder and immediately recoiled; it stung to touch it. He placed a bloody paw in the snow and looked around. Kate padded up to him and greeted him with a warm smile and a nuzzle to his cheek._

_ Wordlessly, she led him around the Marker. The symbols glowed with an eerie, luminescent crimson light on the Marker's grey surface. The whispers of demons swarmed around it and Humphrey knew well that this was of a force that could not be fully comprehended, something that was truly terrifying and horrible to the beholder. Kate pressed a paw to each of the massive ice claws jutting from the mountain and crimson symbols began to appear on their surface, glowing in increased radiance just as the Marker's symbols were. She looked at Humphrey expectantly and he padded up to her._

_ Observing the symbols, Humphrey scrutinized them to try and make some kind of sense. There was a kind of familiarity to them, something that looked as though he could somehow understand them despite being unable to decipher their hidden meaning. _

_ "It is the language of the Ancients," Kate informed him. "It was created by Fenrisúlfur and revised by Fenrir. Lupus and Lupa embedded the knowledge to recognize it if we saw it."_

_ "Kala told me about them," Humphrey said. "Why did we think Fenrir and Fenrisúlfur were the wolf gods?"_

_ "They are ancient," Kate replied. "After millennia of passing the story down, it has evolved until we were falsely deterred into believing that Fenrir and was supreme. He is only the god of war and wisdom, his mate the goddess of love and guidance. She is the founder of the Spirit Guides."_

_ "So that's why you always say 'May Fenrisúlfur guide you,'" Humphrey concluded. Kate nodded approvingly and padded briskly to the Marker. Humphrey watched her, unmoving. She pressed a paw to the Marker and suddenly, Humphrey's mind began to flash and swarm with information, a full understanding of the Ancient Language. _

_ He looked back to the ice claw and began to read, the words popping into his head with new meaning and purpose. The writings told of a Great Wolf that would cast away the Marker and allow the wolves and other living species' of the planet to live another day. This was what Saren believed him to be. Under it, however, was another prophecy: The Legend of the Grey. The prophecy foretold that a grey wolf would rise from the ashes of chaos and destruction and bring peace to wolf kind that would last for an eternity._

_ "Saren misread the prophecy at first," Kate told him. Humphrey looked at her as she joined him to look at the writing. "He believed you were only the Grey. It is apparent to me, however, that you walk the difficult path of two prophecies: you are both the Grey and the Great Wolf."_

_ "Is that even possible?" Humphrey asked her, awestruck._

_ "Yes," she said with a grim nod. "Your future will be dark, and many battles will rage around you. Only you can do what must be done, my love."_

_ "I don't know how to destroy the Marker though," Humphrey protested. "How can I do anything against it?"_

_ "You cannot destroy it with mere physical, brute force," Kate explained solemnly. "Your mind is the only way of overtaking the Marker. You must let go of the one you fear to lose the most and kill that one. Then, and only then, will the Marker's power succumb and be diminished."_

_ "How do I do that though?" Humphrey pleaded. "I don't know who I fear to lose!"_

_ "You feared to lose me," Kate said in a downcast tone. "When you did in physical reality, you refused to let me go in the recesses of your mind and for moons were haunted by me. Humphrey, I am the necromancer, the demon that plagues your waking and sleeping conscience. You cannot destroy the Marker unless you let me go."_

_ "I can't," Humphrey breathed. He looked away, doing his best to not shed any tears. "I already failed twice now; I couldn't save you and I couldn't even save our own daughter. How can you possibly expect me to let you go? You're all I have left, Kate!"_

_ "I will not leave you, my love," Kate told him softly. She buried her face in his neck fur. "Lupa has allowed me a kind of second chance in the form of your daughter, the one that Kacey christened with my name. My current conscience will become dormant, resting in a type of hibernation. Your daughter will assume everything that made me who I am, but she will be your daughter and have her own sporadic flares of unique personality. When you or her dies, I will reawaken and become my own separate entity from her, becoming what you see now."_

_ "I don't fully understand," Humphrey said. Kate giggled and flicked him lightly with her tail._

_ "I don't expect you to, Humph," she said sweetly. Humph; oh, how he missed that nickname she had given him! "All will become clear when it comes to pass. My love, you have a destiny before you, as do the survivors of Jasper and your new mate and pups. You must destroy the Marker to allow their lives to continue." Humphrey nodded and looked at his beautiful mate with tears in his eyes. _

_ "I love you, Kate," he told her. She smiled and nuzzled him._

_ "I love you, too, Humphrey," she whispered. "I'll always be with you." She sighed and pulled away from him with reluctance. He watched her back away to the other side of the mountain's peak, seeing her apparition dissipate into the air. Humphrey felt his heart break as he watched her go, his eyes never leaving hers. Finally, she disappeared in a golden pulse of energy. The ice shattered around him and crashed into the Marker, tearing the rock apart and obliterating it. Humphrey stood rigidly still, staring intently at the place that she'd left as the world fell apart around him. _

He snapped back to reality and looked around to see the Marker lying on its side, the ice claws shattered around the destroyed remnants of the 'divine' Marker. Saren was gone; the coward most likely had ran away. The necromorphs had sagged down in lifeless heaps and the Jasper wolves walked about the carnage. No Jagged Ice wolf save for Faolan had survived the attack, but no Jasper wolf had been killed. No Jasper wolf except for…for…

Humphrey collapsed to the ground, crying as his heart was torn apart from the death of his beloved daughter. He had promised her when she was born that he would always protect her and he'd failed her; Kala was dead, and so was Humphrey's heart and reason for life. As much as he tried to distract himself from it, only one thought remained in his mind to plague his thoughts: Kala is gone.

**A/N: Thanks to Dawn Walker Wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, the dark shadow, and MoonTrekerAF for reviewing my last chapter! Get ready guys, the next update will be the last for Wolves of the Darkness! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	44. Epilogue

Humphrey stumbled down the mountainside, his eyes staring ahead with a gaunt hollowness. The Jasper wolves stared around, expecting a necromorph to leap up at them and continue the battle. The necromorphs did not rise, however; the Marker was destroyed and so was their chance to kill. The threat was over on the same eve that it had begun. Humphrey lost his hold on the rocks and crashed to the ground at the base of the mountain. He groaned and pulled himself back up, walking over to the center of the Ĝarnaw. Or at least, what was left of it. The blood stained rock was dilapidated and hardly recognizable as the same place, the bodies of necromorphs and Jagged Ice wolves lying about in bloody heaps, gore splattered about the rock clearing. The battle had been shot yet terrible, hundreds dying in less than an hour. Twice in two years this had happened; twice had tragedy befallen them, and now Humphrey had lost the one thing he held most dear to him.

Kala lied in the center of the Ĝarnaw, Scourge attending to her. Humphrey walked over to her and nudged her, trying to wake her up. She did not move, she did not breathe. He nudged her again and again, the Jasper wolves looking on in sorrow for their poor Leader Wolf. First he'd lost his mate, now he'd lost his daughter. How could he be so cursed for these terrible events to befall him? What had he committed to deserve this? Kacey, Winston, Garth, Lily, and the pups rounded the mountain and were horrified to see the carnage. When she saw the body of her stepdaughter, Kacey wailed in agonized sorrow. The pups stared at her in horror, hoping that Kala's eyes would flutter open at any moment and she would be okay.

Humphrey continued to nudge his daughter, praying to every wolf god he'd ever heard of to let her be okay. He had promised her, he'd sworn upon his life that he would protect her no matter the cost that he'd never let anything happen to her. She was a newborn pup at that point, but he'd meant it wholeheartedly that he'd protect her. Now, he'd proven to be unable to make promises, for he'd sworn protection of Kate as well. The two wolves most important to him had been cruelly torn from his life and cast away into the darkness, leaving Humphrey nothing more than a bitter shell of the wolf he used to be. He lied down beside his daughter and nosed her face, whispering softly to her, telling her to wake up. Tears blurred the vision of the wolves when they saw him do this, knowing that Kala would never again stand, that his attempts to wake her were in vain. Faolan averted his eyes, blinking away tears that he refused to let flow.

"Please, Kala," Humphrey pleaded, tears rolling down his face. "Please, wake up. Please, Kala, please…" Marcel and Iris fluttered down. Iris was covered in blood, Marcel missing many of the feathers on his left wing. They looked sorrowfully at Kala when they saw the poor young she-wolf. Humphrey began to weep piteously, burying his head into her neck fur and letting his tears soak into her fur.

He had failed her. When she was born he'd sworn to protect her and he'd broken that promise. His daughter was dead, his daughter was dead, she was dead, she was dead…_Kala is dead_. How could he allow this to untimely fate to befall his beloved daughter? He had failed her…

Tilting back his head, Humphrey began to howl requiem for his fallen daughter. It was a mournful, agonizing howl that portrayed his shattered heart and mind. He cried out to the heavens above, singing his misery of his fallen daughter to the skies above. One by one, the other wolves began to howl for her as well. Faolan let a tear fall down his face, tracing his Spirit Markings down his eye. He was the second wolf to join in with Humphrey's howl. Marcel and Iris joined in their voices, mimicking the howls of the wolves. Even the pups tried to join in their yip-bark howls. Kala, the young grey-and tawny-furred she-wolf that had been so incessantly admired and loved throughout the Jasper survivors, was dead.

**Kala**

Kala opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar world. She was in a vast, expansive region of mountainous area. Beautiful, glorious, golden sunlight streamed into the range and shone beautifully off of the hard, compact snow, glistening in a perfect world of beauty. Groaning, she rose to her paws and found herself standing in the snow, yet it did not feel cold. She stood atop it, feeling nothing but warmth and comfort in this strange new world. She looked about the unfamiliar landscape and then glanced back at her flank. It was perfectly fine; there was no wound or evidence that the icicle had impaled her at all. She felt strong and fit, as though she'd never suffered the slightest trace of an injury in her life. Perplexing as this was, she knew she had to find out how to get out of this new, mysterious place and find her father and the rest of her pack. Faolan crossed her mind briefly, but she was more focused on the wellbeing of Humphrey.

Walking ahead, Kala sought for a sign or path of travel that would lead her back to the world of reality. She looked through the trees and saw the blue, shimmering apparitions of wolves walking about. They solidified and turned into glowing versions of normal wolves, no longer blue and transparent. Upon closer examination, she noticed massive wings on their backs, beautiful feathers blending with the color of the wolves' individual fur pelts. It occurred to her that this must be the heaven for wolves; why else would they have such wings? Then, the daunting, horrifying realization sprouted into her mind: she was dead.

No, that couldn't be! Kala could absolutely not be dead! She reassured herself by inspecting her body and finding now wings on her. Then again, perhaps those were earned after meeting Lupus and Lupa. She padded forward with brisk speed, desperately trying to find a way out, yet she could not see any way out of this world. Everything was so strange, so foreign, so frightening to Kala, yet at the same time, she saw nothing but flawless beauty and perfection in this world. Ahead, she saw a large wolf approach her. He did not have wings, nor did he look to be quite 'angelic' in nature. Still, he approached her. She had never seen this wolf before, yet he looked so familiar. He was massive, well over twice her height and length. His shorter yet grizzled, broad muzzle and muscular nature identified him as a Dire Wolf, but she knew that she'd seen him somewhere, yet could not tell from where. He had snow white fur with jet black paws and ears. She looked at his eyes, and she instantly remembered who he was. She had met only one being who had such undesirably haunting, bulging white eyes.

Fenrir beckoned to her with his tail and turned around. Knowing that she had no other choice but to follow the God of War, she padded closely to him. Kala looked about in interest as Fenrir led her through the twisting trees toward a truly massive mountain, one that towered above even the clouds themselves. A path began to reveal itself and spirit wolves began to look at them. Kala was unnerved by their penetrating gazes and she began to walk closer to Fenrir. Despite his mysterious nature, she knew him well enough to know that he was a friend, not a foe.

"What is this place?" Kala asked him. Her voice seemed to echo a bit in the frozen world.

"It goes by many names," Fenrir replied, his voice echoing as well. "Heaven in the most common of terms used to describe it; you may also know this place as the Winter Mountains." Kala's eyes widened as she looked about. This was where the Jasper wolves had been heading, and now she understood the horrible realization that the Winter Mountains were not a safe haven for the living. Before she could voice her claim, Fenrir cut her off. "The Pack of the Winter Mountains exists in the realm of the living as well as the dead," he explained to her. "Of course, to accommodate the massive amount of beings that come here, this realm becomes larger and larger. As the Winter Mountains bears the perfection of life, we decided to use its geography as the realm of afterlife. The Pack of the Winter Mountains, however, is quite real. They are as described: the direct and closest descendants of the Dire Wolf. They are the only wolves that I truly consider to be my kin, my blood."

"Even after I completed the Trials," Kala said exasperatedly. "You still don't consider me to be True Wolf?"

"You are Full Wolf, but you are not True Wolf," Fenrir told her gruffly. Kala looked down in disappointment and Fenrir looked back at her with a wry smile. "You are, however, closer to the mantle of True Wolf than others that I have seen in this life time." Kala took condolence in the compliment and smiled a bit as Fenrir continued leading her through the mountains.

"Am I dead?" She asked him, incredibly terrified of what the answer would be.

"No," he replied. "Not yet. You must realize your destiny first."

"And that is?"

"I'm not at my liberty to tell you yet."

"I find that hard to believe," Kala growled skeptically. Fenrir didn't reply as he led her to a clearing before the largest of the mountains. Kala looked to her right and saw the golden, winged form of her mother, Kate. She was playing gleefully with three young pups: her unborn siblings, all of them scampering about and fluttering with their small wings.

Kate looked at her daughter and smiled. The three pups looked at her as well and waved their small paws, grinning at her. Kala couldn't help but smile at them. Then, she returned her gaze to the mountain when she saw two bright lights approach. One was a black furred male, the other, a white-furred she-wolf. Kala and Fenrir fell to the ground in a bow of reverence; they knew instinctually who Lupus and Lupa, the Gods of Wolves, were. They resembled the balance and perfection, the divinity of all wolves. They padded up to them, the spirits towering over the two.

"We are the balance of light and dark," the two said in perfect unison. "We are the night and the day, the good and the evil, the saviors and the condemners."

"I thought only one of you would see me," Kala said, still bowing. "That only one of you represents day and one for night." The two smiled at her and told her to rise. Kala did as requested and stood p.

"The revival and resurrection of a wolf is to be decided and dictated by the both of us," they said. "Your father walks a difficult path of two prophecies, and you share the burden of helping him with them. You will not die on this night, for your destiny still continues onward. You are given one last chance for life, Kala; do not take this gift lightly."

"I won't," Kala promised. "Thank you, Lords." The two dipped their heads and touched their noses to her head. Kala saw a light from behind her and she saw the apparitions of the Jasper wolves howling for her, her family singing requiem for Kala. She smiled at them and took a final look at her mother and siblings. They smiled warmly at Kala and she began to walk towards the apparitions, the world around her fading as she approached her body. She fell into herself, and went back into the realm of the living.

**Humphrey**

**Two Moons Later**

The shock and relief of Kala's revival had overjoyed Humphrey and the rest of the pack. He had embraced his daughter and refused to let her go for a long time, crying into her fur when he realized that she had died and been brought back to life. After they had regained their sense of reality, they left the Ĝarnaw immediately. Although Humphrey didn't like the prospect, he allowed Faolan to come along with them. He had nothing left and he and Kala had fallen in love with one another.

The Marker had been destroyed, but it had released the two shockwaves. The first was a tactical pulse for the immediate vicinity of necromorph 'life.' The third pulse that had not been released was an automatic activation of all Markers. The second, however, was a world-wide pulse wave that allowed three more Red Markers to rise in secret locations across the earth, all ready for manual activation. If even one was activated, they would raise the Black Marker and the world would be engulfed in the darkness of the necromorph plague.

Saren was still alive and out there, and he knew many wolves of many packs that agreed with his ideals, all of which he would assemble into an army to bring the necromorphs back. This was no longer just the mere insanity of a single wolf; this was now all out war. Humphrey had no inclination to walk into a war, but there was no choice. He had to protect his pack, and now he had to do so while waging war against Saren and his army. Their priority, however, was to find the Pack of the Winter Mountains. If anyone could help them and stop Saren, it was the legendary descendants of the Dire Wolves. It had taken them three long moons, but they had reached the end of the horrible mountains, leaving the Jagged Ice Ĝarnaw behind forever.

They now stood united as one atop the final mountain, looking out over the forests and mountains in the distance. The sun shone ahead, the light shining off of a large point in the distance as the earth curved away. It was the entrance to the Winter Mountains. Humphrey looked at Kala and Kala back at him. They smiled at one another and then the pack looked ahead together. For too long, they had been residing in the darkness, turning them into nothing more than wolves of the darkness. Now it was time to end it. It was time to transcend into the light. Now, it was time to come out of the darkness.

**END BOOK 2**

**This is the end of Wolves of the Darkness and I would like to thank everyone for reading this story. Thank you Dawn Walker Wolf, DP, the117, the dark shadow, LoyalWolfHumphrey, RexieCakes, Alpha Andrew, Apex Wolf, The Silver Wolf, imjustlikehumphrey, someone who isn't important, chiefdaniel117, MoonTrekerAF, The-crazy-lone-wolf77, LilyandMe, The Lonely Blitz, humphreyandkate together, and light555 for reviewing this story!**

**This is the second book of the trilogy. The next shall be the last chapter of this saga, a story rightfully called Out of the Darkness. It will be a dark tale, one of hurt, loss, pain, retribution, betrayal, and war. Yet there will still be a brink of light, the light of hope that the Jasper wolves will find peace with the Pack of the Winter Mountains.**

**As I am on Spring Break, I won't be posting Out of the Darkness for two weeks (probably the Friday after next Friday), so keep looking out for it! There will be no sexual-content chapters in Out of the Darkness. I had no inclination to even make one for Wolves of the Darkness, but that's what it escalated in to.**

**I am accepting OC suggestions for Out of the Darkness as well. If you have an OC that you are interested in seeing in my story, send me a PM and you may just see him or her in Out of the Darkness! To answer the questions of a few, yes, Saren was the name of the villain in the first Mass Effect game. I couldn't think of another name to use for the character so I thought to myself 'hey, here's a villain I don't like, why not use him?'**

**Thank you to Dawn Walker Wolf for the OC suggestion of Kacey. Thank you to all of you for reviewing my story. Thank you to all of my good friends on HLK's forum for being there for me every step of the way. And most of all, thanks to my amazing girlfriend RexieCakes for supporting me and being there for me. You guys and girls are awesome as hell! Well, as always, UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


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